For the BRRRR process I plan on using a hard money lender for the rehab process for the SFH's but what I'm not sure of is, should I purchase a duplex and rent one unit out and live in the other or should I just rent for now, not purchase a duplex and just purchase a SFH with cash and start BRRRR'n immediately?

who can help you analyze deals and guide you through the process.

Once you have a deal they will guide you through the process and even help you attain the funding with out coming out of pocket or using your personal credit.

In the process of redoing kitchen and bath and sprucing up the yard.

There is no question that fires in these areas are caused by man developing in what was vacant areas where even if there was a fire ( which there has been over the centuries) But these were not in the thought process's in the 1900 until the 60s before CA recorded the subdivision map act  into law.. you just platted and recorded Just look out in the high Deseret there are 1 mil platted lots with virtually no homes but nothing to burn..

From day one I treated my involvement in real estate as a real business.This means, I had an advertising budget, a lead generating and follow up process, a back end process and money source and above all an experienced mentor.  

Mark, I am in the process of completing a HELOC with Wells Fargo.

That refi allows me to recapitalize and repeat the process.

The broker/LO misses something that gets caught late in the process and blows the loan up.

Obtaining the FHA loan is great and you could repeat the process after about a year with the right lender.