Any other pros or cons to this method of investing for at least getting started? 

Missing out on depreciation doesn't matter for now because you're living there.

My birthday is one month from now and my goal is to put in the work I need to to quit my 9-5 job by then.

Now I'm looking to expand to other states.

@David Lewis I'm regularly looking at multi-family listings on MLS and can only find cash flow in tertiary markets - think Lowell, Fitchburg, Springfield, etc.

You have no more at risk than you do in your own home (where you probably have more equity.) or your own car (where you probably have more risk.) and we won’t talk about if you have a pool or a dog. 

Congrats on owning a duplex at 20—that’s very impressive!

I have created a lot of loss in my taxes over the last few years and now want to get a mortgage for a new primary home.

You can quickly see why looking at this graph - https://www.visualcapitalist.com/buying-vs-renting-house-in-...You can see how in 2015 the average mortgage was cheaper than the average rent, so it was easier to make the math work with light value add and just buying single family homes.

I also have some buyers looking for properties in Virginia as well as north Carolina.