There are no upfront costs so why not establish a relationship with someone who actively represents real estate investors and move forward with vetting your ideas.Best.

I know a cost segregation study would be too expensive for such a small amount of property, but is it permissible for me to estimate the value of the components on my own?

Here's an article with things to consider when selecting a cost segregation company.

We almost went with a loan that we have to pay all the cost upfront and then get reimbursed on the back end and that was just not something we were willing to do.

Options - collect full payment for the 3 months up front and lower the deposit to secure against damages only, require insurance.

For any of you who use this strategy, can you tell me who your insurer is, and cost of premium?

Is this normal cost or high?

Here's what you need to know about qualifying and managing costs, including realtor fees and other expenses.Why Germany?

Will a Cost-Seg offset the LTCG on these index funds? 

You'll likely also reduce your cost of living by moving to a stabilized apartment.Depending on the cashflow and debt paydown, you can use this strategy until you've built enough equity to reinvest.On the other hand, getting into a multi-family after refinancing will also help you build substantial equity to rinse and repeat in the coming years.