I have not worked with contractors previously so one of my biggest concerns is finding one that will be a good fit to handle both the paperwork and the actual renovation (thus the motivation for my original post) @Rob Milliken @Tyler Bushey Thanks for the suggestion, I am willing to explore this route and I understand the benefits of not having to deal with as much red tape.

So doing your due diligence and exploring every option is probably the best thing you can do.

It's my first exploration into real estate, so I'm sure I'm going to learn things.

My budget is around 80-120K for my first investment and I have explored those markets below:  ClevelandOH Columbus, OHRochester,  NY Jacksonville, FLIndianapolis, INAll look like great markets to invest( Large cities, still affordable, growing, low unemployment rate, etc)  however, I find it hard to pick one for start.

My budget is around 80-120K for my first investment and I have explored those markets below: Cleveland OH Columbus, OHRochester, NY Jacksonville, FLIndianapolis, INAll look like great markets to invest( Large cities, still affordable, growing, low unemployment rate, etc) however, I find it hard to pick one for start.

, but first I'd strongly recommend you get some training on how to use this powerful tool.For example, you generally don't want to purchase BRRRR real estate inside an SDIRA, and you really don't want to buy a deal using funds from your wife's SDIRA.I'm DM-ing you a recommendation for some training I've received that fully explains the IRS rules and goes on to explore the staggering potential of these accounts.

Mine is just sitting earning 1.78% so saving I'm exploring options. 

Hi @Timothy Casallas, once you identify a market you can explore further by drilling down into the demographics like population growth, jobs and wage growth, employment diversity and supply and demand.

@Amir Navabpour, when you're looking at a 10-18K tax bill, $1K (and prolly doesn't have to be that much) to explore a 1031 isn't a bad option even if you can't find a property within the 45 days. 

Great job exploring your options and I wish you success in your journey.