The land represents ~1% of the purchaseOn the contrary - if you purchase a $2 MM shack in manhattan on a postage stamp lot, the land could represent 99%Lever 2 - % of the property with a shorter useful life.Not all parts of a piece of real estate are depreciated at the same speed.Certain personal property assets have SHORTER lifespans in the eyes of the IRS vs the standard 27.5/39 year livesProperties with tons of this often have:- Over-developed land sites (hardscaping, pools, retaining walls)- Fancy Fixtures- Fancy Furniture (STRs!)

I am in the Houston area and my primary goal is to become financially free and look to enjoy more quality time with my family as I do want to move away from the day to day desk job.

I'm looking for advice on this topic and also recommendations for companies that work in this space.

I recently moved from CLT, happy to connect you with folks down there if interested. 

does having a contract with a listing agent prevent you from buying properties ... directly from owners?

They may have access to paperwork that can help with this.

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

Are you interested in doing so in the near future?

I met with a seller, and we have verbally come to an agreement on purchase price, interest rate, down payment, term length and monthly payment.

Content is a big factor also.