I am sensitive to the notion that we're in a pandemic and as far as I know nobody in the building is struggling from COVID-19 circumstances yet the size of the monthly loan payments is going to force my hand to bring many of the units up to market rates.

Unless one is willing to play in gray areas of taxation treatment, I find the notion of buying cash-flowing real estate with any SD retirement money to be a very expensive proposition.  

The notion that I (we) are just puppets to media and the american team and should live under a rock so we do not have to work seems over the top. 

When moving out of CA, PLEASE leave any liberal/crazy/wacky/"Cali loving" notions and feeling there! 

The notion that they don't respond to emails within any normal time frame (of 24 hours), is a big red flag.  

If you take out a loan from the cash value account it affects how long your policy last so if you were sold the policy with the notion that you can take out money later without consequences, it's not that simple.

I'm new to REI as well and the notion of houshacking/moving with a family (which was my situation) never seemed to be an option because of the huge under taking it would be.

Our budget is ~$650K total (preapproved), with some flexibility if needed.Any tips, insight or ideas of feasibility around this notion would be much appreciated!

I am also originally from Cleveland, and currently I live in the Bay Area (occasionally I feel tempted to move back to Cleveland as you did... but then I remember what January can be like and that notion is quickly extinguished).

The notion that 2021 pricing in the market is LOWER than 1991 pricing is complete fiction.