I am renting out rooms in my place, and want to use a digital lock for the front door instead of physical keys.

Saying that about Dodge takes a lot - they've come a ways since the casino was put in.Anyways I went on a tangent - but do your homework and check out the short term rental market - maybe buy a duplex and use the other half as a short term rental or a small apt complex if you can afford it near the university. 

I have bought well over 100 props without title insurance. although out your way i would not buy without   in our west coast markets title tends to be easier to track as its digital in format.  

Her roommate and I met in person to sign the lease, and everything else was digital.

Good Evening, I have a what seems like easy question but the more I dig it is very complicated.

Just like @Kevin Dougherty said above, you can very easily get a double digit return if you buy real estate correctly.

As I scale up, I would find a digital solution with low processing fees.

This is a house that costs a 4 digit number to buy, and a 3 digit number to furnish. 

I had the same doubts back in the 80's when % int. rates were double digits. 

I’m very interested in becoming financially independent and it would be great to have a support system (beyond digital), that we could all rely on together.