Smart people adjust their life style, clear their debt, polish their credit scores and financially position them selves for success by mastering personal money management.Investing in real estate should not be used as a path to clear debt, you need money to be a investor.

These include (but not limited to) loan payments, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc...  

So from the get go you may find that seller financing is a non starter if your properties are highly depreciated and secondarily appreciated.The 1031 exchange has a limited shelf life of 180 days. 

If not, you should lower that limit. 

Affordable Housing Incentives - The city of Oakland will reduce set back requirements to build on a lot, and actually increased the number of permitted units above the zoning limits if you build a certain % of affordable housing units into the building, and commit to keeping the rental units in a program like section 8 for 55 years ( see here).

Hello BP, I herd of some banks here in Indianapolis that will bundle up about 5 mortgages into one big lone once you reach your limit of mortgages so you can continue to get new mortgages.

Buying at fair market value is one thing, buying significantly above it is another.Understand that this strategy can limit your exist strategy and that you may need to hold it 5-10 years unless the market appreciates a lot.

Sure you could read books and listen to podcasts and figure out things on your own, but every successful athlete that I know has had great coaching to get there.So before you sign up for a coaching program, find out if the coach has the lifestyle that you would want and if you want to invest the way he invests.

While value add if you buy properties that have good occupancy in solid, growth markets should limit your risk. 

Instead of getting upset or discouraged because there are limitations when it comes to self-directed IRAs, my suggestion would be to understand the rules, embrace the rules and then go make yourself a lot of money (by following the rules).