This is the route I would choose.Hopefully this helps a bit but don't just sell because some guy on the internet told you it was a good idea.

Everybody you've "heard of" in real estate via the internet has a social media strategy.

I have a rental business (36 rentals), flipping business, internet retail business, and my wife has her real estate licence and buys/sells our properties.

Growth here is quite immense given the recent drive of transportation, logistics, and distribution and we only see that demand growing as the internet grows as well. 

And that company to receive the fee had information on the internet that made it appear very suspect.

I reached my "financial independence" number many years ago.However, I am still full pedal on the gas at my day job -- I'm a Senior Manager for Fortune 100 internet companies which I'm very proud of, particularly for a woman in this industry and enjoy.I'm in my mid 40s so it's early, but I made all this money to retire so want to start doing that.But I'm scared and really want to talk to some people who have actually retired off of their real estate wealth to get a sense of how it works out -- 10, 20, 30, 40 years out.I'd love to hear your situation and share my own situation in the hopes of getting a sense of how this could actually work in practicality years out.

You are better off with 5 at zero pointsI wager Quicken will not honor a 30 day lock at 2.99 30 year with that small of points.

I don't have any experience with them, but Lifestyles Unlimited is on the radio and Internet in the Houston and Austin areas. 

There are many, many article on the Internet about Reserve Mortgages.

That changes of course based on the price of propane.Somethings you can ballpark, like internet or cable as the variations from area to area won't be that huge unless it isn't available and you have to use satellite internet or the like.IMHO, you best bet is to choose the area you are thinking and start running numbers on averages from the various utilities etc.