With your primary residence, things can be pretty straight forward in terms of splitting mortgage interest, real estate taxes etc. on your returns.If you go into a rental property, there are a lot of considerations to think about.

Yes trying to find info as well, offered 1031 and/or straight investment $s w 6 month min lockup period for a return in the 14s, seems too good(i know what they say, lol)

Yes, even the best system will see a bad tenant get through, but we've found that raising the bar cuts out 90% of what we have to eventually deal with, and for the remaining 10%, if it's a tenant who's always paid in good faith, we try to work with them within the month and, if it doesn't pan out, we move straight to the hard talk.

DSCR loans are pretty straight forward for my LLC. 

If it is someone you know you can give them a straight return as if its a loan - can provide a lower interest rate to provide upside - it really depends on the lender and what are they concerned with and what is their risk profile. 

After 40+ years in real estate sales, management, and investing, I advise someone in your situation to cultivate your patience.No market moves in a straight line--they move in cycles. 

Just normal stuff that happens in this biz when you're dealing with so many variables and things like that.At the end of the day, what you want is someone who will shoot you straight and who will do what they said they would.

Go straight into focusing on creative finance, subject to, and minimal cash down deals and build from there.I want to hear your thoughts on what direction to take here if you were in my shoes given these constraints (full time job and a few thousand saved) and you want to optimize for passive income first, then value appreciation?

You can't put a straight door on a crooked frame.  

I am so happy that I went to college and got a degree before jumping straight into real etstate.