In inventory-constrained areas pre-construction SFHs can be a great way to get new construction at decent prices (the builders have real economies of scale so they can build cheaper than you and me).

We all want to scale quickly but he is proof sometimes slow and steady can win the race.  

If you can find someone to partner with that is always the quickest route to scale and grow quicker - at least that is what I have found.Middle 600s is good credit in general so what if you have to pay a bit more interest that just means you may have to spend a bit more time finding the right deal...which there are still many of here in Chicago.  

In addition to your creative financing education, start to include education around scaling your portfolio using the equity in your home.

Managing them myself really isn't not so much what I don't want to do, but wouldn't be able to scale by doing so. 

Just a heads up, though, finding those dream deals might be trickier nowadays, so be ready to invest a bit more upfront.Also Keep an eye on your budget as you scale up.

I want to do what will help me scale the fastest, as my goal is to complete as many rentals as I can so I can replace my W2 income.

If you sell an investment property outside of Section 121, you can defer your taxes as you scale up via a 1031 Exchange.Governments, rules & incentives change, and markets change.

Goal is to find first deal defining the systems and KPIs, then scaling spend from there.I appreciate any thoughts or constructive feedback!

Or when you want to scale your business, where you finally have a reliable experienced crew in place and you want to do more deals at a time.