Most financial planners recommend 10% of the portfolio in real estate, however, since real estate is not considered a "traditional" investment by many,and not fully understood, I believe this is a fairly conservative number. 

We have 5 small multi-family properties, all financed with traditional 30-year fixed rate loans locked in sub 4.75%.  

My current rental properties were both financed with hard money, before paying them off low enough to get a HELOC and simply put the balance on there.I'm now interested in purchasing an additional rental property (4-plex) through a traditional lender, as the 10% interest rate is crushing. 

I feel the seed money can be better used in property investment than traditional stock investing.

The interest rate is much higher than a traditional loan (15%) but they close in about a week and the term is for 5 months before you have to start paying on it.

Usually the traditional advice is to try to visit once during the day, once during the week and night, and once on the weekend, so you get a sense of the area at different times.

@Charlie Fitzgerald is right if you are using traditional, in-your-own-name mortgages.

Not until after 12 months on title for traditional funding.

I understand these mortgages are hard to get from traditional lenders.  

Your license is like a lottery ticket.