I'm a retired engineer and have been successfully using income from these houses to support my retirement without dipping into retirement savings.I'm transitioning my business from rentals to a franchise and would consider selling one of my houses (5 br/4 ba - the other houses my son while he's still attending).

So yes, it's about knowing your business and being very specialized. 

this is basically the business credit coaching partner that works with you over the course of 12 mos. to help you build up business credit for your company. 

If you have a business you can grow and get financially rewarded that is higher priority then leaving that.

He’s not a pushy salesman, and I’ve got a business partner who has worked with him for the last 10 years without any issues.As for your situation, I wouldn’t say it sounds like a Ponzi scheme, but I’d strongly recommend meeting with the fund sponsor in person and asking as many questions as you can.

I purchase the land from a local jeweler who I tracked down at his business and asked he was interested in selling.

You’re running a business not a charity after all. 

These are leased to businesses (like chain stores) that cover taxes, insurance, and maintenance, making them much more hands-off than residential rentals.Real Estate Syndications / REITs – You can invest passively in commercial real estate (apartment complexes, self-storage, industrial, etc.) through syndications or real estate investment trusts (REITs) without being a landlord.Hard Money Lending / Private Lending – With $500K in equity, you could act as a private lender, funding real estate investors who flip homes or develop properties.

I wish you the best of luck building your business on another platform.  

When picking a market, I would look for things like population and job growth, rental demand, and economic diversity—basically, is the area attracting people and businesses?