Commercial deals are going to look at your qualifications as an investor as well as the DSCR value of the property supporting itself (at least here in the USA).For construction, you will need to look into licensing requirements such as a GC license.

Managing self-employment income requires tracking eligible deductions like business expenses, home office use, and retirement contributions.

The stabilized properties operate fine without me but the development side of the business requires me 24/7.

I actually like them because the homeowners' association (HOA) usually covers most of the insurance, and there is very little maintenance required.

One of the biggest challenges for everyone involved is being on the same page about the actual time required for maintenance.DIY landlords rarely properly track their time when it comes to property management in general - tracking their true time invested in maintenance is where they perform the worst.Investors that hire PMCs are rarely any better at understanding the true amount of time maintenance takes.

@Eric Smith A 1031 exchange with a related party is possible but comes with strict IRS scrutiny and holding period requirements.

Cheap items will break sooner and require replacement, and will make your place look cheap overall. 

I know there is not a ton of resources that don't require large financial commitments, just wanted to see if anybody knew of cheaper alternatives. 

You prpobably don't care about Ohio, but their requirements might be instructive.You can only file January 1 through March 31.

Conventional loans will require 12 months seasoning for cash out and are usually capped at 75% LTV 2.