What other places in the area do you think would be good to invest in? I

Alternative route I chose, I will leverage my duplex (purchased 4 years ago) equity through house hacking to have skin in the game on next flip.

Is it over-blown or game changing?

It’s a numbers game."

I enjoy college football, video games, and lifting weights. 

The only time I'd say it's an okay idea is if either: The area you're investing in is expecting so much appreciation that you will easily profit off that (watch out for mortgage interest though...the appreciation needs to be higher than what you pay in that and expenses to make it profitable)You have some specific reason for wanting to do it- family ties, future home, major long-term hold, etc.Maybe I'm forgetting another one, but those two are all I have for now...

And given syndications are a marketing game more than a real estate game, it begins to give you real marketing content to share with the world to help drive new leads for future deals.

No heart shaped tubs are arcade games in this one. 

Looking to get into the BRRRR game and trying to estimate how much renovations will cost for an average distressed 2-3 bedroom home roughly 1200 square feet or less.

In the past year we've been through the ringer financially due to bad contractors, deal promises, and generally just being new to the game.