As a person who has lived most of my life in metro Detroit, all I will say is be very, very careful. 

If the pipe is 50 years old and had a life expectancy of 30 years, they're going to argue it was due to lack of care on your part and try to deny the claim. 

If you are new, it will take you a year to recover from a 1-star review.I have been staying in timeshares and short-term rentals my whole life.

A stress-free life is the best life.Why have 100 properties when you can live the lifestyle you want with less houses that are paid off.A paid-off house also is one less obligation that you have, no monthly mortgage payment that you have to worry about.

Actually the IRS does not tell us what we can invest in, only what is disallowed (life insurance contracts and collectibles).Allowable investments for SDIRA investing include the following:Residential real estate, including: apartments, single family homes, and duplexesCommercial real estate Undeveloped or raw landREITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts)Real estate notes (mortgages and deeds of trusts)Promissory notes Private limited partnerships, limited liability companies, and C corporationsTax lien certificatesOil and gas investmentsPrivate stock offerings, private placementsJudgments/structured settlementsGold bullion Factoring investments

Commercial is a totally different ball game than residential, so connecting with a commercial broker will definitely make your life easier.

I want to utilize my arbitrage to obviously use for my personal life but also to create a hefty fund for investment properties later on the line. 

I'd say the logical paradigm in the question is a bit off.CRE includes everything from airports to golf courses to hospitals to campgrounds.So saying "residential versus commercial" is like saying "bacon versus plant life."

There's always someone getting older, or something going on in their life, and wants to sell out.

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.