Since I am in Canada, I had my wife pay from a Canadian bank, which would take 4 business days to process.

I would say raising money is harder than finding deals, because investors have emotions you have to navigate, where as the deal numbers are straight forward. 

After you have lived there for 12 months get an approval to build or buy another 2-4 unit home to start the process all over again.There are some tips and tricks to speed up the process to ensure you can buy or build another 2-4 unit. 

Many are not and the process to do so is tedious and may not result in a positive outcome. 

But thinking about the BRRRR process.

They like this because they know buyer broker is helping the buyer understand the process, find a commercial retail attorney, help line up financing with capital markets, etc. 

Whether it's insights on the pros and cons of furnished vs. unfurnished or suggestions on rental pricing, I'm eager to tap into your collective wisdom.Thank you immensely for being part of this decision-making process!  

Your decision-making process will be aided by knowing your objectives.Determine how much risk you can take.

A duplex/multifamily could work but the tenant friendly laws in the bay area have me concerned that an extended eviction process would kill any reserves and risk losing the property.  

Tell them your situation and they might be willing to tell you about the process in exchange for a shot at doing the work.