You will already be saving substantial closing costs with a private deal.

It can be a substantial difference.  

I have some ideas on how I could do this from the other side of the world, but I would be curious in some other best practices for those who have done real estate from a substantial distance.

The opportunity cost (i.e. investing the initial costs + the savings from renting each month, into an index fund) seems to be substantial even with the tax advantages of owning a home.

If you have had it a few years I would imagine the value has increased substantially. 

As a Marine Veteran, I love seeing fellow service members diving into real estate investing—it’s a great path to building long-term wealth.

I can put down a large down payment and am looking for a Conventional or DSCR loan.I have a lender that can offer 10% down on single-family homes or 15% down on 2-4 unit properties, but if you're looking to make a substantial down payment, then that may not be as crucial.Happy to introduce you to the top lenders I work with.

It’s great to see your enthusiasm as you dive into real estate investing.

I'd like to take a deeper dive into subject to, wraps and other related things to educate myself and see whether some of these might be things I can actually utilize in my real estate journey. 

Also, it would be hard for me to imagine, in 5-10 years, assuming your BRRRR strategies were all purchased and refinanced at appropriate risk levels for you, that you would not be cash flowing and the value has appreciated substantially.