I was just offered a loan with a 2.5% loan origination fee for a 320k, and that didn't include the other fees involved. it came out to $8k going to the broker. 

I'm looking forward to getting involved in the local REIAs & helping out wherever possible. 

and what kind of sales are you normally involved with?

still have some friends in Montreal, most of whom are involved in IT or Web design.  

But if you engage in an unrelated business such as flipping, as Jim mentioned you need to be aware of the UBIT.3) Under some circumstances this could be possible, be sure to discuss your particular situation with a qualified tax professional. 4) You need to understand the prohibited transactions rules, all of the transactions involving your IRA must be 'arms length',  you nor any other 'disqualified person' can not receive any personal benefits as a result of it and are prohibited from providing any services or do any work on the investment. 

If it gets nasty, you can ask for copies of all the permits pulled for the job and get the city/municipality involved to review the work.

A passive investor can invest in the deal but not necessary be involved in the acquisition. 

I lose my house last year because of a situation that was out of my control (long story involving an over spending relative and a friend that we housed for 3.5 years for free who ended up opening multiple credit cards under my name and completely destroying my credit ).

Is it simply getting a real estate license and submitting an application or is it more involved?

I'm now looking to get involved more deeply in the investing side -  through buying and holding, and at some point flipping - focusing on helping those who may not be able to purchase a home through traditional methods still realize the dream of home ownership.