Does a tech firm really need to pay a CA located cpu engineer $300kyr when have national reach of hundreds/thousands equally qualified happy to do it for $200k....... 

My biggest fear is that if I ever were to quit my job, I would no longer be able to invest in more real estate (not sure if I would qualify for loans as easily). 

A good one will be able to take a look at all your finances and let you know whether you need a lease or not on your primary residence before you qualify for the loan. 

DSCR loans definitely seem like a good tool for scaling, especially with strategies like BRRRR where cash flow is critical since it doesn’t rely on personal income or DTI, making it easier to qualify while keeping cash flow positive.

If you can qualify with your income, DTI and employment history, conventional may offer better terms.

DSCR loans are easier to qualify for when the asset values are a bit lower and rents a bit higher.

I don't think that is enough, but, the first thing is to go to your Banker and try to get qualified for a Loan.

Depending on if you qualify for the special allowance for active RE, you may be able to take up to $25k in losses (unless you are full time in real estate and may be able to use real estate professional status). 

@Julian Martinez The good thing about your position is that if you decided to sell the property you can qualify for the 121 exclusion, and qualify for a 1031 exchange.

I've never heard the 25% thing before, but any difference between FMV and sales price would technically be considered a "gift" with potential tax implications for your parents.You can avoid most seller costs as there's no reason to use agents in this case.As an FYI: I always recommend avoiding a FHA loan, if you qualify for a low-down payment conventional loan.