You can even plan vacations that are written off if using the sandwich method by doing work on Friday and Monday for real estate and the weekend is there so you do vacation stuff so all lodging and travel can be written off. 

The other method is to use a “safe harbor”, i.e., the specific procedures laid out by the SEC in Regulation D.  

Was looking to save where possible in this market but the method I proposed is not worth the consequences. looks like 20% down it is!

Quote from @Stuart Udis: ....But I set the goal of acquiring 50 doors in the next 3 years using the BRRRR method and will then be financially free...isn't that a scalable business :)We see the above type comments from not so experienced investors or business owners all the time being posted on BP.  

I jumped into real estate doing the BRRRR method, understanding that holding property will allow me to build generational wealth, but then learning that landlord income is not the best way to feed your family.

If you’re patient and methodical, though, cash flow can absolutely become a reliable income stream.Hope that helps!

If you offer more $ for the property than the all cash offers AND you appear to the seller to be highly qualified in the method you are using for sourcing the payment, at some point your offer will be more appealing than the all cash offers.I don't understand why you would consider a 1031 for another property in two years. 

Any recommendation for the first steps I should take if I want to purchase my first rental property using the BRRRR method (or flipping).

And then you can use that information to start to develop your own personal due diligence method: Crowdstreet.com, 1031 Crowdfunding, Akr7, Finresi etc.

Find Brandon's videos on YouTube for the "four square" method of analyzing homes and practice.