Small claims is often on Zoom, depending on location.

It also depends on the area you are investing in. 99.9% of Sellers want their home on the market as it is a very strong Sellers market at the moment. 

The timeframe would depend on your sales and communication skills.

Depends on the renter.....some people like tubs, some think they're low-class.

Or you can refi as two separate condos, or as a duplex depending on what fits your needs, or maybe you sell both off eventually, but having the flexibility to exit and a couple different ways allows you to pivot based on outside forces.  

Also, depending on your risk tolerance, you may want to get a mortgage on your ranch and use that cash to put 50% down on a couple of rentals.To get to 20 houses you're going to have to learn more advanced strategies, but to get started just get 1 rental to see if you even like it. 

It depends how what you want, if you will put in the work and if you will still have money left over to invest.

it depends on the financing you are applying for. 

Otoh you don’t want to lose a good deal over it, I’d say it depends on your own experience level, how good the deal is and your relationship with your current agent and if you except to have an ongoing with him. 

(depending on the lender this will be 6 months - a year)  If you're able to find off market distressed deals you can still find reasonable cashflow but still have the appreciation benefits of a bigger market.At the end of the day, it boils down to what your appetite and long-term strategy is.