Investors are old fashioned, lazy not very smart or tech savvy, can't see the bigger picture have no patience, refuse to leave their old ways behind nd invest time and effort (and brain power) into new ways, they don't "get with it", they don't get with the times, they don't educate themselves, they think they know better.Here is my investor journey in a nutshell.I came to BP, most people gave me cra advice, I didn't agree, but I tried anyways, failed, I said, screw this, I am doing this Y way.

Got a great education on the owner finance process.

There's a sample probate letter in the Biggerpockets education file.Go to Tools then FilePlace and choose Letters.

I like the idea of getting homes paid off, enjoying the benefits during retirement and then passing them along to my kids when I’m dead and gone or using it to fund their education, help them purchase their first home, etc.... not totally agains it though.

Hi Ben,The first thing you need to do is educate yourself and take your time.

Then educate yourself and run numbers on lots of different types of investments.

Owning income real estate directly is one of the many ways of owning income real estate and the way most frequently discussed on BiggerPockets because it involves the most hands-on activity (and when done correctly, probably yields the highest return of all the different ways of doing real estate).

Even though I haven't purchased my first property yet (waiting for June when my downpayment money matures in a CD) I have a schedule of research and regularly meet with other investors and keep track of my educational process.  

Here is a post that answers frequently asked questions regarding self-directed 401k plans: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blogs/9552/82969-the-self-directed-401k-faqs

@Tarik Smith It's best to start with your education.