You are right, Portlannd is growing rapidly and it's hard to find a good deal.

well it could be as simple as your VA calling the company handling the sale ( law office or whatever ) and asking.. in high dollar value states one clue is a 30k opening bid.. hire a VA ( local one) to up date your spread sheet by going to the courthouse and pulling the info once a week on all foreclosures your interested in .. remember this is public information.. you just need someone to teach you how to do it.way back when I started in this business in the mid 70s my Dads Lawyer told me.. you want to be successful IN RE  go learn the courthouse.. so I spent hours learning how to pull out those big dusty ole books and read title history...

Was there a moment that stood out to say, "Yup, I'm ready to grow?"

I remember hearing 3 types but I dont recallAll I can think about is giving them a 1000$ up front to motivate them, this may be a bad idea but if can I get a few options from some other folks that would help alot.

If I can grow faster, that would be optimal.

I remember in 2001 I bought my first house at 6% and was doing backflips to get such a good rateIn portfolio loan you get rid of all the PMI etc.

Wanted to get some advice on what I did wrong/right, what I should try to do better, and how to grow from this point.Deal- 1923 Wood Frame Duplex in Growing area- Tampa Heights, FL. (2) 2/1's.  

I am looking to establish a long-term business relationship with said agent(s) to grow in the Texas market.Thanks in advance.

You would be borrowing pre-tax funds and paying loan back with after-tax dollars at 5% that you could invest in tax-deferred environment and grow your wealth at 10%+ rate (there are many opportunities that would allow you to earn at least that such as private lending, syndication, note fund, etc).

Such vehicles are a means for your IRA to invest in real estate, not a way for you to get your hands on the IRA money for your own deals.So, the main comparison to make is; can the IRA grow better and more securely invested in real estate than it can in whatever it is invested in today.