Despite tight housing inventory, rising interest rates, and affordability challenges, Austin posted double-digit increases in both single-family home sales (up 13.5% YOY) and sales dollar volume (up 19.8% YOY).

It wasn’t the best living space but very comfortable and the best perks is you can essentially live rent free have first hand experience on controlling your asset aswell as dealing with tenants.  

If you own it outright, it is an asset.

@DJ DawsonIn order to preserve the maximum amount of account value (no tax hit) and retain the tax-sheltered status of the funds, you would want to look into a self-directed IRA, or if you will be self-employed with no full-time employees, perhaps a Solo 401(k).These self-directed retirement plans provide the flexibility to invest beyond the stock market into assets such as real estate.Of course, it is not "you investing in real estate", or something where you can draw current income. 

Posting and publishing companies do the official notices and these are hired out by the trustee or attorneys handling the foreclosure.Cash for keys are typically handled by the real estate agents hired by the asset management companies for the bank.

There is a way however to roll those funds into self-directed IRA, which will enable you to invest in alternative assets such as real estate.

(I)(1) The terms "real estate broker," "real estate salesperson," "foreign real estate dealer," and "foreign real estate salesperson" do not include a person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, or the regular employees thereof, who perform any of the acts or transactions specified or comprehended in division (A) of this section, whether or not for, or with the intention, in expectation, or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration:(a) With reference to real estate situated in this state owned by such person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, or acquired on its own account in the regular course of, or as an incident to the management of the property and the investment in it;(b) As receiver or trustee in bankruptcy, as guardian, executor, administrator, trustee, assignee, commissioner, or any person doing the things mentioned in this section, under authority or appointment of, or incident to a proceeding in, any court, or as a bona fide public officer, or as executor, trustee, or other bona fide fiduciary under any trust agreement, deed of trust, will, or other instrument that has been executed in good faith creating a like bona fide fiduciary obligation;(c) As a public officer while performing the officer's official duties;(d) As an attorney at law in the performance of the attorney's duties;(e) As a person who engages in the brokering of the sale of business assets, not including the sale, lease, exchange, or assignment of any interest in real estate;(f) As a person who engages in the sale of manufactured homes as defined in division (C)(4) of section 3781.06 of the Revised Code, or of mobile homes as defined in division (O) of section 4501.01 of the Revised Code, provided the sale does not include the negotiation, sale, lease, exchange, or assignment of any interest in real estate;(g) As a person who engages in the sale of commercial real estate pursuant to the requirements of section 4735.022 of the Revised Code.(2) A person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation exempt under division (I)(1)(a) of this section shall be limited by the legal interest in the real estate held by that person or entity to performing any of the acts or transactions specified in or comprehended by division (A) of this section.

Is the property titled in an LLC for your asset protection?

Do you want your small portfolio of passive income generating assets to be paid off in five years?

@Wesley Piard,  There's folks here who were buying stuff 3-4 years ago and getting a 4% rule on rentals.  1%, 2%, .5% is nothing more than a ratio between monthly rent and asset value.