THanks @Hanif Ahmad - I only have some subs; I do a lot of the work myseld or with my father in law (retired contractor), so I don't really have any 'full service' people

I understand that rental properties are NOT going to help me retire. nor is it my plan to retire from rental properties.

My goal for real estate investing is to become financially independent by the time I retire from the Air Force so that I don't have to work for anyone else.

My mother is retired and has ok credit (~700). 

My in-laws already have several other rent houses on the property.The property is not going to be sold (it is needed retirement income for my in-laws) and my wife is the heir.In addition to rent payments, we would also cover paying property taxes on the improvements we have made, and bear 50% of the costs for maintenance/repair of shared use facilities (electric gate, road maintenance, etc.)Can you explain how leasing for $1 per year and splitting profits through a partnership would be preferred to essentially splitting profits as a form of rent payment?

I have done this 4 times and was planning on a 5th in 2018.now in the old days if you replaced your home you sold with one of equal or greater value @Bob Okenwa  I think a lot of house hackers just move out and keep that property as a rental.. so this would not affect them.who this affects is folks like me who have run up 500k equity exceed the annual income limits and want to retire.. and down size.. its an anti califorina tax  LOL.So for people to think this tax plan is only helping the higher earners  I see it the exact opposite. 

However, I quickly realized after retirement that I didn't want to be another hamster on a wheel with a college degree and a pension plan.

@Christopher Neil For retirement funds I like the idea of lending, performing notes, or JV on deals where you provide the capital and the JV provides the work.

But there will still be a market for your rental if you are restricted to 30 days.After a season renting short-short term, I switched to short-medium and happily collect $5800 a month from retired doctors from Chicago.

Here are some hard facts:If you're over 30 and don't have a net worth of over $300,000, what the heck are you going to do, start saving for retirement?