My deadline to back out of my real estate transaction and get my earnest money back was Dec. 12.

I make a decent amount of money nearly from my W-2 (over 100k) but still not enough to easily buy another property this year especially if I have to put down 20%.

So if you can do just a few deals a year you can be making some extra money, learning, and establishing yourself so that eventually you can easily transition into being full time.

Market Appreciation is the least predictable, but historically, where you will make the most money.

The long-term moves are to get a concession to buy down the rate for good (not a 2-1 or 3-1 buy down), it's a smaller number (i.e. .25% or .5% decrease on the rate), and getting their full closing costs covered is money out of their pocket today they'll be saving that could be huge to give the buyer more money for repairs and/or furniture along with just life expenses. 

Quote from @Brandon Morgan: If you screw up a deal with a friend or relative, you will lose money and the relationship.

Both of our properties have about 100k in equity in them so we were thinking about using getting a HELOC on the duplex rental property and use that money for the down payment on the next property.

It would be a waste of time, and money. 

I would focus more on where the day to day dollar comes in rather than the money from the property.

I don't believe raising QOZ money for entitlements that would be resold 6 months later would pick up traction.