I'm looking forward to engaging with the bigger pockets community!

@Brandon Heath Although self-directed IRA investing is a great strategy, caution is required when dealing with family to ensure you don't accidentally engage in a "prohibited transaction" with a "disqualified person."

If any contractors out there willing to teach me and let me work alongside, please let me know.Thanks

So far, I've done a google search of local commercial lenders and written several e-mails but haven't gotten a good response (1 lender from Dallas contacted me).I'm figuring the best reference for good people come from others engaged in the same practices.  

I signed up just as an investor wanting to engage with other investors and the whole thing seemed shady.  

Zillow, her complaint says, "should not be engaging in this business practice without a valid appraisal license and, further, the consent of the homeowner."

An individual called the qualified intermediary must be in place to document the exchange and hold the proceeds of sale prior to the close of the sale.In your case you did not engage the required intermediary prior to sale.  

I kept buying stocks for 3 years and when the day came to get engaged I used that money to buy the ring.

Keep listening to the podcasts, and engage with others. 

You are bringing up a very important perspective of how to best engage prospective investors.