The interest paid back to myself would only benefit my retirement, I can stop giving money to those damn dirty banks, AND, most relevant to this post, I would lower my taxable income to an all time low. 

Great way to pick up some good info and possibly a deal.You can also search NARPM.org for the RMP (Residential Management Professional) and MPM (Master Property Manager) certified.There is no benefit to sleeping with the golden plunger!

Plus what's the benefit of paying down the principal if its a rental?

A good domain definitely  helps but I think that the business on real estate  investment that most people on Biggerpockets appear to be engaged in will not benefit by paying above the normal price of around $12.00.  

And you get the benefit of having over 100 past ones to catch up on.Feel free to connect with me if you have questions.

I am most likely going to join my local one in New Jersey but is there any additional benefits to being a member of the national one?

I scheduled a meeting with a CPA to discuss some of the tax benefits/burdens.

And you get the benefit of having over 100 past ones to catch up on.Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info.

But if you can maintain a charge and payoff routine then your credit score will definitely benefit from that type of account!

Some are uncomfortable with it, some see it as a faster way to build net worth.You can explore refinancing, the higher value will help, but we have found that the fees eat up any benefits when the price point is that low.