Or wait until it’s fully renovated?

Since it was a 6 month wait to either redeem or clear the title..

Know your numbers..REFINANCE - With our no seasoning requirements you can refi and pull cash out once rehab is complete, rather than waiting the typical 6-12 months that most lenders require.REPEAT - Use those cash-out funds to put your money back to work and scale your business.Partner with a lender who understands the needs of BRRRR investors! 

There is so much I do not yet know, but I can't wait to learn!

However since I built the relationship, he allowed me on the property to fix chipped/peeling paint and waited until OCTOBER, which was when I finally got to the closing table.

This is the real estate version of “dollar cost averaging.”So even though home prices do go up and down, they tend to go up overall.If you get in the market you are getting a piece of the pie, versus waiting and missing out.For example, you might end up selling when prices are lower, but then you are buying a new place when prices are lower too.

Buy anywhere in Florida and just wait a few years.

Typically DSCR programs have seasoning requirements from anywhere on average of 3-6 months, which means in order to use the newly appraised value, you would need to wait a little bit (although there are 0 months seasoning programs).

What should I focus on while waiting to build my credit?

If there's a hole, it may be a red flag.b) sensitivity analysis: I examine all the assumptions, and make sure I can live with the worst case scenarios.c) "Stall and see": if they are getting money over multiple years, and there is no penalty for investing later, I would usually wait so I get some real performance data, versus having to look at theoretical pro forma information.d) Recession stress test: I will not invest in anything, until I subject it to recession level stress and see if I can live with the result.