How long does it take to generate cash flow, and how would the cash flow compare to  “traditional” real estate investing? 

Joshua,  I understand your point of using the HELOC as 2nd which may be close to accomplishing the lowered total interest payments but in the end, anything you push toward your traditional is locked up and not easily accessible when opportunity knocks.   

These are more complex legal structures that can provide even more protection than a traditional LLC alone.

Other traditional CRE?

I have used most of my traditional financing cap with earlier purchases so now I'm using creative financing like seller financing and sub-to purchases to keep growing my portfolio.I'm currently focusing in Tennessee on homes under $500,000.

I think its going to just take some time for the end buyers in the chain (the people responsible for buying the MBS through the whole process - generally banks, insurance cos, pension funds) - by nature are very conservative and slow to adopt to new things like SRO.Its a tough situation because the message a lot of times ends up being "rent it out traditionally on a single lease since thats more conservative" yet they are out of touch with investors who can only cash flow in this current environment with creative solutions such as rent by room, etc.

man this is the best direct-honest-unbiased-transparent I ever heard of. it is like i said before, the local broker that has better cost efficiency and/or tech-driven brokerage would rise in popularity and the slow and decaying process of traditional brokerage. typical agent make 50k, there're more realtor than home to sell with different cost from each brokerage ; seller/buyer not just want lesser commision but they want bigger pie when selling like you said. 

With that said, STR is far from traditional real estate investing as you are now entering the hospitality business.

One is a wholesaler/flipper, last year he started flipping mobile homes and he's getting average $45k per flip, which is higher than his traditional average $35k per house flip.

In the quest for financial independence, real estate investment emerges as a beacon of opportunity, offering paths to wealth that traditional saving methods seldom traverse.