I lost money (opportunity loss) but I gained a wealth of experience. 2.)

Does it outweigh paying the capital gains tax?

Given the size of portfolio needed that presses a need for it to be mostly A class assets to mitigate operational weight, so it could push closer to $80m in acquisitions. 

So I just wanted to present the raw facts, hear everyone's opinions, and obviously gain some knowledge and tips from investors! 

You have to see huge appreciation to see any gain. 

The great thing about living in a high cost of living area is that your salary / wages are hopefully also very high.If you are a new college grad, I would focus the next 1-3 years on increasing your salary as much as possible(gain new skills, new certifications, change employers, etc).Once you make more money, you can easily get in a position to buy a property on a more frequent basis.Best of luck!

Are you trying to hand your “friend” a 50% taxable gain that you’re going to keep?

You'll gain valuable insights into evaluating deals, financing, and managing properties.Local NetworkingPlug into local investor meetups in your area, the Pensacola area should have tons of groups.

. ✌️ (and don’t forget to calculate short term capital gains tax - that’s why I prefer passive income over flipping)

I have not lived in the property two years and feel that any profit I may make on a sale would get chewed up by closing costs and capital gains.