Going with hard money or a similar setup could get you in the game much quicker and avoid the problem of having too many chefs in the kitchen (Which is a legitimate issue). 

Or should I aim for whichever position that will provide a quicker path to a higher salary, therefore allowing me to actually invest in projects?

Thanks Blake and Kyle...I heard back from Cozy and they said their revenue model consists of making money from charging for screening reports, collecting 2.75% from tenants who pay with credit/debit cards and the $2.99 per month per unit for quicker deposits. 

As I bring on my subs, I can see improving this and finishing quicker.

Goal is to do 1-2 deals every 1-2 months, unless I can figure out a way to scale it quicker.

Right now cash buyers are getting most of the deals because they can typically they typically close quicker.  

Many times in the early days of our business we would lose a deal, because another investor was quicker to pull the trigger.

This way we could take a 30 year mortgage and pay it off much quicker (7-10 years or so).My main assumption here is that it is beneficial to pay the mortgage off as quickly as possible, as to reduce the effect of accruing interest over the life of the loan.

There is an easier and quicker way to find investors.

That is your rule of thumb.Partnerships come in many different forms and can help you get your to your goals quicker than if you go at it alone.