., Arms length to avoid a step transaction would involve retail sales which would cause a recognition of gain anyway. 

I was doing 1-2 houses a month but still wasn't the speed I wanted, so every couple of months as the capital became available I would buy a duplex or something as well that didn't need much work to keep my unit growth up.

I'm currently trying to build brand recognition first.

We moved our company to Tulsa in '04 after hurricane Ivan dumped 4 ft of sand and covered Okaloosa Island beyond recognition. 

Also, another great tool to get up to speed would be to evaluate 100 offerings before investing in one.

But if you don't need the speed and the cash aspect, then there's no reason to take out the equity if your going to turn around and refi your new property with another mortgage. 

However, yes to speed up the process local networking is the way to go beyond just online.  

They do have name recognition though..

I felt like I could build a business as a successful agent, piggybacking on the relationships with current clients that I've been nurturing for years, and with some of the capital earned, begin a BRRRR snowball that can pick up speed with partnerships and more success. 

I'll keep at it, one day at a time, and I believe this action step can help me get ahead and possibly speed up the process that leads to success.