Planning phased improvements—starting with quick repairs for immediate cash flow—helps fund larger projects like ADU development.

Nice job on the renovations, looks like it’ll sell quickly.  

Might be something to look into.Lastly, you are also very smart to know that keeping your job is part of the train to time freedom.

Pretty much you buy a property, then quickly sell it to another buyer without making any significant improvements or repairs.

For the home loan, if assuming it isn’t an option with your current income, you might consider using some of the cabin sale proceeds as reserves or paying down debt to improve your financial standing.

Most full-time agents will be thinking about other jobs this year as well.

If they increase your limits, your dti will improve.

I'm hoping that my finances are much better at this time next year and continue to improve as the economy gets cleaned up, with the right person at the helm. 

When I separate from the service I plan on making real estate investing my full time job.

Hey James, the most important part of investing from a distance is building and improving reliable systems, generating deal flow, and building a rock solid team.Read this article on the "core 4".