It's been a pretty cool journey and has allowed me to leave my W2, however, I've come to the realization that my current strategy of delayed gratification is no longer working for me.

Good luck on your journey man. 

Whichever method of lead generation you decide on, aim to establish and maintain a relationship with prospective sellers. 

BiggerPockets is full of resources designed to help you along your journey, whether you are just getting started or a seasoned investor.

@Joshua Simmons Congrats on starting the journey!

You will get through this, and while it feels overwhelming now, this chapter will one day be just a stepping stone in your real estate journey.

I am currently in the planning phase of my real estate investment journey and had a few questions I’d like to ask someone more experienced.Would it be smarter to focus on paying down my own mortgage and then use a HELOC as a down payment for my first investment property, or should I simply use my savings for the down payment instead?

For all methods you would want to find a market that has strong employment rates, strong income rates for the market, and is a growing or an established market. 

Yes, the BRRRR method can work with multifamily properties, and many investors have done it successfully.

., a duplex or triplex).Wishing you success on your journey.