I've never heard any of my lenders mention anything more than 1 month up front reserve for the tax escrow.Are we comparing apples to apples;  MFU 5+ commercial loans?

It has positioned you perfectly for future financial independence.Dividend investing and real estate investing are not comparable, unless you invest in real estate passively. 

I think the panel should also compare and contrast the way they invest.

I have not seen as many good deals in the Utah County area in the last 6 months compared to Salt Lake, Davis, and Tooele counties. 

You need to look at comparable properties and what they sold for in the area.

And I know exactly what you mean about the REI game here in So Cal, prices are pretty crazy, especially compared to places like Chicago, Detroit, etc.  

The Gross operating income is without any debt service (P or I).What's funny is the duplex numbers are better than the comparable SFH numbers I have in columns D and E, for which I'm using the 1% rule, which I've heard is a tough number to achieve.

It's also a relatively inexpensive area to live, especially compared to CA.

How does the ARV compare to the comps?

The top end contributions are the same as the SEP, but you can get there on less earned income due to the combination of employer profit sharing and employee contributions.A Solo 401k is also not subject to taxation on debt-financed investments which an IRA is.The structure that provides you checkbook control in the 401k is more direct and therefore generally less expensive than the comparable IRA owned LLC.For the most part, if you qualify for the Solo 401k, it is the best overall solution.