Rather, go find yourself a tax attorney or CPA who has expertise in the use of tax-sheltered retirement funds for alternative asset investing. 

It’s more for parents to retire so I dont bank on cashflow but more on appreciation in the future (like NorCal market).

The rent from these properties are paying for my parents retirement. 

It is a developing community and seniors are retiring/selling there homes on a regular basis (Fredericksburg area as a whole).

Depreciation, like most deferred retirement plans, postpones taxes, it doesn’t eliminate them, unless you never sell the property, or keep “exchanging it” , usually on less favorable terms and with large third party fees.

You mentioned having quite a bit in stock market accounts..if you have funds in retirement accounts you can invest that money in real estate too..there are special rules , you'll want to look into self directed IRA or 401k .

I would have more but got into rehabbing and flipping houses and got away from the buy and holds, but I am getting back to them as they are my retirement plan. 

Get a large number of them working for me and as they get paid off, may be sell them off slowly when I get into my own retirement.  

So if a President wanted to do something like that, or borrow against pensions and back them with government bonds (bye bye retirement funds), it very well could happen in the US. 

@Ron ClimerMan, you can't beat FL for it's 100% homestead protection, and no state taxes either ... that's where I want to be when I retire!