What makes a self-directed IRA custodian different is that they are not purely connected to the public exchanges and limited to investing in stocks, bonds and funds, but rather have the staff training and paperwork to document the IRA's investment in the more individualized transactions that occur when investing in real estate, notes and other non-traditional assets.

I was thinking in a limited scope and ARV of some local properties.

At the same time I have limited duty to the client.

You might want to think about your limiting beliefs.

Also, if you are not geographically limited, you can try to match up your talent/interests with an area that offers a more reasonable cost of living. $400k housing and $9k in taxes annual, plus the utility costs there, don't really make Vermont that attractive from a financial point of view (which is too bad because it's a beautiful state).

The larger national footprint firms will be able to give you good economies of scale but your experience will still be limited to the quality of your assigned representative. 

I'm running into the limit on # of fannie/mac conforming loans (I thought its 10 properties total, but apparently it caps at 6 investment prop). 

The accessory dwelling unit shall be limited to a maximum of 1 bedroom.7.

We are looking for a good realtor in the Shawnee OK area that has an investor mindset and and the patience to put up with two rookies with limited knowledge.

BRRRR strategy is a great way to stretch limited funds.