It sounds as if this 401k is with your current employer, so you likely do not have the option to move that to a self directed IRA.  

It's just that my income is from self employment and kinda hard to convince banks to lend me hundreds of thousands of dollars :(

there will be many that live in each state.... turn key generally produce's a few of your trigger items not necessarily all of them though in one house.great houses and tenants usually equates to a smaller NET return... as your return goes up your sacrificing something.Unless of course you go the state your self source your deal do your own rehab and etc then those metrics are not to difficult.

I presently have a self directed traditional IRA thru institution that .

My question revolves around peoples' opinions on how to best prepare myself to invest in income producing properties in the next 3-4 years in regards to 401K v IRA v highly liquid personal stock portfolio.I have read many posts on here referring to using self-directed traditional or roth IRA's as the vehicle through which to invest in real estate, but I am curious if I have not yet started a roth would it be better to start a post-tax savings/ investment account so that I can be ready to jump on a deal nearly immediately if one presents itself?

I consider my self a new investor but i read on your profile you bought your first property in 2013.

Thirdly, while your strategy of self funding the down payments will work, it is not sustainable. 

I invest in Hamilton about an hour away....do you self manage the student rentals or have a PM?

Picked up a triplex with some modest cash flow, and have been self-managing it since then (it's just a few miles from our house). 

Downpayment Funding Sources SavingsHome Equity Lines401K Loans2nd MortgagesRoth IRA self-directed optionsDeal StructuresThe deal structure will be to 1.Acquire the property2.Rehab the property as necessary3.Rent out the property4.Try to keep tenants for as long as possible5.Maintain the property6.Rehab the property during turnover7.Keep repeating until a sale or more rentersExit Strategies 1.Buy and Hold and use home equity lines of credit to fund future deals2.Buy and Hold until the rent is 0.5% of sales price3.Buy and Hold and sell to invest in a down stock market.Team and SystemsTeam RealtorContractorHandymanReal Estate LawyerAccountantMentorThink TankMortgage BrokerTitle RepInsurance AgentProperty ManagerSystems Automated PaymentsAutomated Maintenance Request SystemExample Deals 1.Identify a property, say 100K that can rent for 1200 a month. 2.Rehab the property for 10K within a month 3.Look for renters. 4.Place renter in the home with a year contract. 5.Renew the lease.