Some people are starting to look into surety bonds.

There's no need to harp on those aspects and besides, I'm here on a real estate investment forum soliciting advice real estate investing, not stocks, bonds, index funds or any of that other boring stuff where you have virtually no ability to improve the value of an asset Sooo, with that little diatribe out of the way...Per my understanding, I've outlined below how the process works for investing in Real Estate using a self-directed 401k.

We have some great options like the Oregon Bond (either a cheaper rate or up to 3% for closing costs), and the new Flex 5% down payment program.

Fix flip, house hack, trailer back, apartment hack, STR,MTR, depreciation, year one depreciation, wholesaling, BAH, seller finance,  sweat equity.Stocks Bonds:   More passive.  

The majority of them are already occupied, it's a mix of tenants and owner-occs with a bond for title in place.I always look at the job market and new developments going on in the area, but I don't know how Covid has impacted that over the past few months. 

He would qualify as an accredited investor.I'm encouraging him to look at passive income generation outside of stocks and bonds. 

I’ve searched and asked this question about PM in the Cleveland area and it’s like pulling teeth.

Start with the potential gross income to determine the value and work backwards from there subtracting development costs, building costs, commissions and interest expense.If the project looks feasible from a financial standpoint the next step is to check with the city or county planning and zoning department to get an idea if your concept will work, if you can build what you would like to build and what is required for all approvals including site plan, building permits, proffers, water/sewer tap fees, bonding requirements, inspections, setbacks, lot coverages, parking requirements, height restrictions, C/O process and time frame for all approvals.You also need to check with the utility companies and get an idea of availability and cost estimates from them for water, sewer, power, gas, cable, installation and connection requirements, tap fees, hookup charges, transformer location and relocation, power line and power pole relocation issues.

We are funded from a mix of LIFT bonds/LIHTC/TIF and a loan for the rest.Thank you!

Sure it exposes you to less risk to pay off your house, but most people don't invest in real estate b/c it's risk free, that's what savings bonds are for :)