You can't compare a motel 6 in the deep east Texas "middle of nowhere" road to a highly desirable boutique hotel on the beach front in Hawaii.Both participate in the industry national average but one will have about 40% occupancy rate and the other probably has a waiting list year round.My advice is when you look at properties, learn the micro-economics of that city, neighborhood, zip, down to the level of the street corner so you can verify that you know exactly the nightly rate, the occupancy rate, who's the competition, what kind of customers go to that hotel (e.g. truck drivers or fortune 500 CEOs), etc.Also, what the asking price is according to the "industry" is irrelevant if you can't meet YOUR business objectives.

While I occasionally trip up, for 99.9% of what I right, I am proud of it and would continue to stand by it.C.  

You are looking for SSI participants who are now deceased and had home ownership?

If they have the decency to give you money do the right thing by family - Don't behave like Shylock.Their participation in profits can be limited to the equivalent you would pay as interest to an external lend - but by being paid as an equity profit then after 12 months it would be at gains tax rate of 15%.

@Hiro Kitagawa I've been participating in the forums for my local area which are, fortunately, quite active with members who really know the area and like talking about it.  

For example, you can borrow 50% of the solo 401k balance through a 401k participant loan, and then use these borrowed funds to invest in real estate outside of the retirement plan.

Or maybe you can participate in a syndication, and own part of a much larger complex, say 100 units or something.

She is really proud of doing this by herself (I had to help her out for a few months when my Step-Dad passed away).I'm not sure if an option for your parents would be to sell the place in Lakewood and move into a similar community with the difference in price being a reserve fund for them, or even do a cash out refi on their house in Lakewood to buy a condo in a similar community with plans that they move there once they get tired of lawn mowing and other similar chores that come along with the house.  

Hopefully at that time it will involve me as the seller participating in the financing and holding a contract so that I can continue to receive a nice passive income from the property that I looked after during my life's tenure. 

@Cyrus Khan @Jack Macioce @Dolores Richards @Mark OGara In addition to attending the REIA meetings in Pittsburgh, watching the podcasts, reading the articles here on Biggerpockets and participating in the forums, is to get with a Realtor who knows the investment market in your areas of interest and has a track record of securing deals with fellow investors.