I attended a seminar last detailed the credit and down payment criteria for investing in real estate.

The only security for the loan is the property that was acquired.As far as not wanting to pay fees to the company handling the IRA for transactions, it sounds like you are looking for a feature called checkbook control.

This is one of my favorite features of Bigger Pockets especially for asking specific questions.

This is one of my favorite features of Bigger Pockets especially for asking specific questions.

It has some interesting features in that in the past it appears to have been owned by a contractor - it has a four-wide driveway suitable for many large vehicles - 200 amp service - two outbuildings (including a large workshop with windows and a loft) - a large add-on family room to the original house - and a wrap around back porch - a large single bathroom with a jetted tub and a tile patio area at the side of the house.  

Big difference.Wholesaling is the new darling of the seminar circuit. 

Still learning about all the features, but it looks like the membership was a great investment.  

(FWIW, if you have the resources, some of the best deals that I've seen over the years have been upscale fixers, which often just need a lot of cosmetics and feature motivated sellers (often heirs) who can afford to leave some money on the table to quickly get rid of a headache.

I like the search features: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search

If you are into multifamily you might want to pay to attend the Brad Sumrock seminar and meetup with all people local and nationwide that are focused on multifamily and syndication.