Neither of these require income verification and much easier to navigate versus conventional. 

Depending how much you earn you can step up those savings by getting a side-hustle in any part of real estate....working for a top Real Estate office on weeknights and weekends, working for an RE Investor, working for a General Contractor and learning a few skills, etc.

Is it wise to look at places you can afford alone, or use rental income to offset what you can afford?

I’m looking to invest in a portfolio of multifamily properties to eventually replace my full time income.

However, one of our objectives is to reduce the tax burden we face on our W2 income.

Nevada has no state income tax and the 4th lowest property taxes in the United States. 

So I posted the other day asking if I could get around passive income on my rental properties so I could contribute to my retirement account.

I'm trying to evaluate if we should keep the property or sell it/1031 exchange into another investment, but I'm struggling to figure out how to do the analysis.Initial Purchase: $65,000 (Cash)Estimated market value: $250-270k - We'd clear $200-250k if we sold.Current Rental Income (after expenses): ~$1,417My gut tells me that we can leverage the proceeds into higher cash flowing investments, but I don't know how to do the math.

Which I would think is surrendering the rights due to the inconsistency of income or no income or wages? 

Indeed, and depending on a variety of factors you can even use them to offset your w2 income