A good real estate attorney that has experience with investors in many states could actually advise you on this.

@Ryan Klemetson I skip the lawyer most of the time in IL (you must have one in IA, and I review my own contracts and then close at the title company and have them perform the title search, rather than paying the lawyer to do it.

Here you go, as suspected for a while now, EquityBuild, EquityBuild Finance, Jerry Cohen and Shaun Cohen received on Aug 15th a complaint for running a Ponzi scheme from the SEC and all their assets are in the process of being frozen.Fraud smells extremely strong and I would advise to stay away from ANY activity with them.

But you need an attorney to advise you on legal title and the court matters you have discussed.  

Having said that, I have a self-directed IRA and am using it to invest in performing promissory note (Some education on performing notes).  

Maybe someone can chime in how that development is moving along and if it's still possible or advisable to bank on buy and hold for awhile? 

I have a referral for you for stabilized performing rentals with @Chris Erwin

And I know it is not good practice to not account for property management in the expenses, but at the outset (early years of ownership for our first few properties) should I discount expenses based upon performing our own property management to add the 10% property management to our cashflow?

The banks want to see that the asset is performing well and can pay for itself.

None of the other top performing markets (based on appreciation) have similar infrastructure in place or coming on line.