I figure if I can get some part time work with a real estate related company then it can only benefit me.

With the tax benefits of real estate and not needing to then save for investing I feel this would be a comfortable amount. 

One of the benefits.

Also, I didn't see any mention of tax benefits.

You can talk about the benefits of investing passively in real estate and direct people to whatever action you want for them to raise their hand.

New windows offer very little energy saving benefit in my experience .

An IRA or 401(k) is best suited for passive income, which includes interest, dividends, royalties, rent from real property and the future sale of such a passively held asset.The other side of the equation is ensuring that as you conduct such a transaction, you are not personally benefiting in any way (such as a commission on the transaction) or adding value to the IRA/401(k) through the provision of goods or services. 

@John Warren Yeah I work in San Antonio, I am currently working on my first flip so I won't be needing a portfolio lender anytime soon lol, but I am an agent and I work with investors that would benefit from looking into that option, so I'm just trying to get a handle on what that process looks like.

You get to take the deferred tax and reinvest for your own benefit. 

It will familiarize you with the basic terminology and benefits.