The RE portfolio in my opinion is safer and allows me to have more control.

But the military puts more stresses on us when we have to deploy and worry about an asset sitting here that we can't control ourselves.  

The buyer slides the pile of cash across the table along with all the opportunities that go along with controlling such a large sum of money.The deal closes, but just before it does, the sticks his greedy, sweaty hands into the pile of cash and extracts a measly 2.5% of highly taxable earned income.

As a new parent to a beautiful baby girl, I fully understand your need to make sure your daughter is taken care of in the future.

Depending on location, foreclosure time frame, market values, and condition of the property, you can often pick up NPN’s and control the underlying real estate at a steep discount.

You have very little control over these new residents who despite not being on the lease....are tenants because they lived there for 30-days and recieve mail there. 

It could take six months or longer before you make any money and if being a part time real estate agent is going to be your only source of income that may be a big problem especially being a single parent.

For more dynamic portfolios or assets that involve a lot of transactions, the IRA LLC offering checkbook control or a Solo 401k.  

.- Landlords often do not like condos because they have so little control over the HOA.

Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.