With the home in BK you would need to get the trustees approval (assuming ch 13) if it’s ch 7 then it should be faster but still take 3-6 months

Getting pre-approved gives you a serious edge in securing deals faster.

Be patient and last tip is to keep your active income as long as you can and try to continue to increase that active income every year as that will help you grow your rental portfolio much faster and live below your means. 

I suspect your sister’s RE path was faster and had less risk.  

House hacking, which allows living in one unit while renting out others, can be a faster way to build a portfolio.

I DO 90% EDEN much faster, two weeks and there in, 

Hence appreciates faster.

You're talking about paying off the mortgage faster to save on what, a 4% interest rate, all the while giving someone else 10% to do minor work for you.

Apparently they should be brick pointing with lime mortar, but instead, they said the city will just plaster over the historical materials (original brick and lime mortar) with Portland cement because it's cheaper, faster and easier than working with more delicate, temperature sensitive lime mortar. 

Cash-out refinancing can be a great way to leverage equity, but there are other strategies you might want to consider to hit your goals faster.1.1031 Exchange: Rather than just refinancing, you could trade up to larger or better-cash-flowing properties tax-free through a 1031 exchange.