Do your homework and investigate, investigate and do some more investigating . 

Also investigate delayed financing which you buy the property with "cash" and refinance without seasoning period

I have been investigating investing in rental real estate to diversify my investments, however I am struggling to make the move when I don't have enough free cash to pay for properties outright initially and I would prefer to not have debt going into retirement.

The house has original craftsman details throughout the home and fresh, new paint to brighten the rooms.

It should save you a ton of time and keep your list fresh and up to date.Propstream List Automator

There's lot of "expert" brokers that only know how to spell OZ and what ZIP codes it's used in.I'm not an expert, but it's more than putting a fresh coat of paint on an old building - You need to do some pretty sizable (to the point of total rehab) CapEx.

It's a very heavy hit financially for us, and this asset was owned under a self directed IRA.The investigation is still ongoing but so far the fire and police sides have informed me based on a couple items so far, that they suspect Arson.I can be a little aggressive in how I handle certain contractor items, and I have maybe 3-5 relationships just in the last year where I can imagine, perhaps, that someone might have felt aggrieved. 

I’d tell her that you will gladly cooperate with any ensuing law enforcement investigation.

One concern I have on the appreciation side is that this is a prefab home and depending on community, could hinder future appreciation.As far as sitting on the sidelines, don't do that, but do continue to investigate, ask for others help (as you have been doing here) and keep learning and saving.

@Jeff Young I personally would pay off your existing car loan of $4K and start with a fresh slate for real estate once it's paid off.