I have 3 properties in my personal name (to get best rates).

So the way I see it it's person's situation specific, as well as properties you have in your portfolio specific vs a specific amount.Good Luck!

Any 'investment' can act as a 'retirement'.Roth is great because it is tax freeI personally like real estate also becuase your cash flow is normally shielded by depreciation.I like real estate further because there is less complixities / restrictions when it comes to IRA such as the 5 year rule, year you have to take distributions, RMD, Unrelated Business Income Tax(UBIT).Your goal is to have the best return and the most money at the time of retirement, what is the best way to get there?

Don’t waste your time with the large banks, you’ll never get to the right person unless you operate a hedge fund and are going to buy hundreds at a time.I found small local banks work the best.

I have acquired my experience from working on my personal live-in-flips and building ADUs, as an owner builder and self-performing most of the work.

We like Western Wayne County for LTR because of the responsiveness of the courts, high wages relative to rent levels, and access to a lot of quality contractors.  

Just like there are quality contractors.

It's a city of around 55,000 about 40 minutes north east of Indianapolis and price to rent ratios are better than what you will find in Indy when taking into account area and tenant quality.

I'm looking for a PM group that has a reasonable monthly rate, manages tenant selection well, addresses property issues with quality, and conscientiously and actively turns properties when vacant. 

Make sure your listings have high-quality photos and possibly even virtual tours.