so I can research more.I'm hypothesizing a strategy of buying people's residences (in low- to medium-income, working class neighborhoods) and renting it back to them in a rent-to-own scenario.

Let's hypothesize that your rehab costs $35k which is probably low.

@Noble McKenzieI am hypothesizing that the owner does want a real estate agent because he doesn't want to pay the 6%(+/-) fee.  

My entire post here is based on hypotheses I've come up with a thousand miles off.

Hypothesizing law is where your formal training resides?

Great Points @Brian Eastman that is true and you skipped to it as I was hypothesizing that same thing that if you used a LLC or entity inside the IRA it would shield the recording and name on the note in a manner which would allow it to not "count," towards the financed properties count for borrowing needs outside of the self directed retirement plan.You did mention a good comment that it only affects lending outside the retirement plan and not inside and that is true.As the legal jargon gets interpreted I believe they will revert back to how it "should be," which is that loans inside IRA's should not count against the fin/prop count or debt to income since its a separate entity from practical stand point. 

You're going to have to submerge yourself a bit so that you can develop hypotheses, ways to test them, a strategy and an investment style.Everyone here has a bias, and asking us questions makes you subject to them.

Once each individual has determined the answers to these questions, you must test your theories through debate, performing quality analysis on your hypotheses, and then finally at some point you must take action.

I think a lot of my (and other newer investors') reticence or hypothesizing is the fear of committing.

Instead of hypothesizing what's valued, put the value on paper.