I was debating whether or not to go back into real estate, because I did not want get distracted from being an investor.

There will be no internal conflict to distract you from reaching your goals.  

I bring up rent control because Airbnb is just the latest whipping boy to distract people from how disastrous rent control has been as Airbnb  gets blamed for high rents.

It sounds like you've experienced the dilemma a lot of us do - that what you do to pay less in taxes (reduce income, accelerate/increase expenses) ends up hurting you when it comes time to apply for a loan.The good news is that if you own your own business and know you want to start usingou bank loans, you can start making yourself look better by increasing your salary, etc.Once you feel more comfortable with RE investing you also definitely might benefit from looking into a Solo 401(k) - but I almost hesitate to mention it because at this point it could just complicate your life and distract you from learning more about RE.

I'm sure with the amount of money I plan to invest in rental properties, there are opportunities for greater returns in commercial but like I said, I want to be purposeful in my investing and want to work towards 1 goal without distractions.

Currently, my biggest "struggles" with REI are:1) how to find the right niche for our biz and not get distracted with the next shiny object/opportunity.2) how to separate ourselves with our online and DM campaigns.I don't think there are any real answers to those (but I'm open to them!)

It needs to be convenient and have minimal distractions.  

It should be convenient and has minimal distractions.  

Another thing is to choose an office location with the fewest distractions.  

The real estate license does help with learning and saving a little money but you do not need one to be an investor and it can be distracting depending on tor clenched base but it can be useful to have one.