My main reason for investing in the premium BP membership was to access the calculators for quicker analyses, but I know how to reproduce the results in Excel fairly easily.

You can get them done much quicker than a site built, though.

This includes having team members that specialize in each specific part of the process, spotting macro trends quicker, and buying consumables, furniture, and other services in bulk.

Whichever you do, make sure you have checkbook control so you can invest quicker and avoid custodial fees each time you invest.   

I like the idea of building up a big reserve and house hacking will definitely help do this quicker.

Although this is probably less likely than the water leaking in through the window wells, it is possible, and you'll want to eliminate it as a cause of the flooding before deciding on how to fix the issue, because if it's groundwater, then the solution to the problem may be completely different than if it's water coming from other sources.As you consider these questions, keep in mind that water follows the path of least resistance--for example, water will flow through a gravel-filled trench much quicker than through solid earth/clay.

Implementing this strategy will allow you to be more knowledgeable and therefore able to make quicker decisions and secondly others take notice of the investors who are repeatedly transacting in a specific neighbohrood which leads to more opportunties being brought to you. 

I'm stumbling through this, but I know that multifamily is going to get me to where I want to be quicker.

They are more leaning towards security vs higher returnInvestors who are still trying to make a name for themselves want to grow quicker so they prefer higher cash on cash with leverage..

If you can source deals with a margin in them, then that is a great way to grow quicker than most.Your family friend that owns the real estate company may or may not be a help.