I did manage to dig a bit deeper and found out that the municipality of Edmonton has an advisory body still active which offers a full suite of forms which have been legally reviewed by their own real estate lawyers and by the dispute resolution courts.

There is the offer, approval, inspection, inspection release, survey (this is a big part of what slows things down--NY does warranty deeds and banks require a recent survey, and there are only so many surveyors, so it can take awhile), title search, title defect curatives, clear to close approval from the bank (and this generally has to go through some committee that meets once a week or less), scheduling close. 

Dave Ramsey would not approve.

@Wes BlackwellThanks for the replies to everyone.A bit more about me and my current state, unfortunately I am going through a divorce (we were married through her tradition which means not legally yet the pain is the same) that being said; I do understand your points Wes.

get pre-approved by the bank first that way if this one falls through you can try again. 

Getting a pre-approval will allow you to really get a sense of what areas you can begin targeting.Best of luck to you!

Should I find a property first or get “pre-approval” for financing or does it matter?

I'm interested in getting input as to how this could affect a niche market and legalities of the situation in various states.  

Hi, I'm a newer investor hoping to get clarification on legal bedrooms in Chicago.

There is a specific category where you can find many discussion on this topic:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51-tax-legal-...Checkbook IRA LLC is a vehicle which can give you checkbook control over your IRA, depending on your investment strategy it might be good option for you.A truly self-directed Solo 401k option that Alina mentioned above is even better alternative, however it is not for everyone.