@Bobby Hughes,I'm not sure what your options are with an annuity that has already been established, but I would ask your financial adviser / annuity account representative if you have the option to convert that annuity to another form of tax-deferred retirement account. 

Our goal is to acquire a few properties a year with an overall goal of around 20-30 properties and $100,000 in annual cash flow by the time we retire in 20 years or so.  15-18 years from now, we hope the cash flow will cover the kid's college expenses. 

When I started to invest my personal goals were retire from my 9-5 before 40 (I'm currently 30 years old) and have 100 units.I'd say I'm on my way, but will need to start to increase my purchases in order to meet my goal over the next 10 years or look at larger multi families.

I'll note, my self-directed retirement background has afforded me the experience of working with multiple turn-key companies in the past in different capacities. 

I am retired military and never give up so easily.

Hello Bigger Pockets, I am a young guy who is fairly fresh into the corporate world that has a goal to retire by the age of 35!

.- Risk averse- Want to semi -retire early and use obamacare efficiently and some non stress job income to sail from 55 to 65.

For those who don't know the French market, it's nothing like the US market and ROIs are much much lowers if any...I also recently aquired a set of 20 garages which offer a better ROI than apartments or houses and splits the risk of unpaid rent in exchange for more management... but I have a retired Dad :)In the past couple months, I have been in contact with a few companies and individuals specializing in investing in the US for foreigners, some looking more dodgy than others but overall seeming to be doing OK...

While schools can be VERY important if your property is family oriented (3+ bedrooms, large yard, etc), it can be far less important if your house is in a retirement community, is a studio or a 1 bedroom, is a trendy "tiny house", is in a work/live space, is right downtown and close to night-life or is otherwise more geared to those without children or who are "pre-child" or "post-child".I have many friends who are either empty-nesters or who are middle-aged and childless that just love finding funky houses, close to the stuff they think is cool and who never even know where the nearest school is, much less know or care how they perform.

When interest rates increase, what happens to retirement accounts?