Also, as an aspiring Project Manager, I've felt that RE has helped with understanding some components of management and there has been a lot of cross-sharing of concepts that I have applied to both my day job and my real estate hustle! 

Fix & Flip has too many components in it.

If you later decide to switch to a long-term rental, larger properties like five-bedroom houses have a strong seasonal component.

Lenders are VERY protective of their funds and title is a major component of real estate.

Truth is...I wouldn't have been willing to work as hard to climb the learning curve, as I would have had to figure our every component of this business on my own.For the record, about 18 months into my franchise, my wife and I purchased a 2nd franchise in the market next to us.

It is like an hour glass watching your money disappear and 30 years your broke if all goes according to plan and you don't retire when the market dips.However, the rental yield component is typically considerably higher and more stable than the dividend yield of equities so that total returns are of comparable magnitude.

This is an often overlooked component.

If there is no value add component, than you're basically going to be paying very close to a market price for the property unless you get lucky ever once in awhile. 

You can add the LLC component to your IRA to create what is known as Checkbook IRA or IRA owned LLC, but it will not help you minimize taxes, the assets are still in an IRA. 

Furnaces are never the expensive components in California.