The following Quote stopped me in my tracks and I had to read it a several times.CAR projects that by 2025, California will be a majority renter state.

Otherwise take your time and talk to several custodians/administrators and probably those that do all 3 and also invest in real estate. 

Hey, I know this thread is several months old but I just wanted to see how your experience has been so far?

Madison is a super solid area for several reasons.   

It's a great primer on several aspects of funding big deals.

Plus cheap health insurance for the whole family.So I'll just keep plugging along.

My sister has severe diabetes and can't drive anymore.

If you're self-employed, the Solo 401k will provide many benefits over a self-directed IRA: Compared to an IRA, Solo 401k contributions limits are roughly ten times higher.There is no custodial requirement for the 401k.You don't need the additional expense and administration of an LLC to have checkbook control.There is a built in-Roth component whereas IRAs are either traditional or Roth, not both.A spouse can also participate in the same Solo 401k plan.The Solo 401k has additional tax benefits over an IRA when investing into real estate using leverage.The penalties for prohibited transactions are less severe, though it's best not to utilize this benefit :)

If you know something is going to have a long lead time (fireplace inspection, furnace inspection, etc...) then put it on your annual calendar to get those scheduled several weeks or a month in advance of when you need it.

I’m not an expert of the area by any means however I looked at several properties in the area and the two big takeaways for me we’re 1. the rents-to-purchase ratio are fairly low and 2. you’ll likely be dealing with large, older families.