Crexi, Loopnet are probably the two biggest but why not work with an agent that can present you with multiple off market and listed deals?

Which strategy below would you do in the Austin market? 

They’ve completely changed how we’ve built our rental portfolio by focusing on new construction homes in the best U.S. markets.

The non-conforming duplex was on the market for just $430k.

Granted, the real estate investing market was better in 2016 than it is now.Best of luck to you with whatever decision you make.

In your case, changing the property from a rental to your primary residence constitutes a change in use.The depreciation recapture will be calculated based on the fair market value of the building at the time of conversion, not including the land value.Since you're tearing down the existing structure, the entire amount of depreciation taken over the past two years will likely be recaptured, as the building's value at conversion will effectively be zero.The recaptured amount will be taxed as ordinary income, up to a maximum rate of 25% for residential rental property (Section 1250 property).

Another concern is after the two years, I still wouldn’t be lendable for most properties in my markets due to that lack of income. 

While algorithms can analyze data at scale, real estate isn’t just about numbers—it’s about nuances and the most important component of real estate is understanding its value, and that to me (maybe I am old school) but can only be done by physically visiting and walking the property.So for me, factors like local market conditions, property inspections, and borrower credibility can’t be fully captured in a formula.

Build - rent - refinance -repeat. in columbus ohio you are buying old houses that are 1900 or 1920 or 1940 and you are in a sellers market. on the other hand you can source land which is a buyers market and build single family homes or duplex or triplexes that will return by renting and pulling cash out on a DSCR loan and doing it again. there aren't a lot of strategies that do this. flipping is different. so many risks. but when someone has a well oiled machine it's all good and less risk.

We purchased it off market, as-is, and as it was our personal home, we renovated over time.