I like the life insurance idea.

I've done this numerous times in the past for conventional lending. 

To me, life has always been about doing something that I truly enjoy, while trying to set myself up for long term financial freedom by creating multiple sources of passive income.

I started off reading @Scott Trench's book Set for Life, and now I am about half way through @Brandon Turner's book The Book on Rental Property Investing.

You will find that typically the boardmembers have rentals and they will make life difficult for outside investors.

Its actually less expensive than a warranty plan, but they will not pay to replace your HVAC unit once it dies and there are no available parts to bring it back to life.

Consider the alternative - if you walk in and say 'I'd like to use this zoned commercial building for a store and do some mild alterations' and they say 'I perceive no possible issues with that whatsoever' - couldn't you come back around and blame them later?

I'm in Bloomington and I'm sure you will find the pace of life here in the Midwest a lot nicer than CA.

I have almost been defeated in life but would like to give all I got into REALESTATE investing...looking for local mentors

I don't think with the lower class properties, someone should have a scarlet "S" for the rest of their life,  everyone needs a home.