I would start looking there as prices are way lower and you can get started faster.

I suggest finding numerous SFH and  investment properties (out of state) and calculating your ROI, find out if its really worth your wild to sink 20k in a property that might cashflow 200/month, find which area might appreciate faster..and execute!

Whatever the date, it means that you'll just have to work smarter, harder, and faster. 

They will often close considerably faster than conventional loans and will consider loans and borrowers that conventional lenders will not - such as rehabbing loans.HMLs secure their loan with a lien on the property.

Honestly $23k is not a lot of capital to work with so if you're able to re-leverage that in another flip and allow it to grow faster in the next 2 years and created six figure gains then that's when you really want to reinvest into more passive income streams. 

More expensive than traditional loans but much more flexible and usually considerably faster in closing.It is not clear to me how many deals (fix and flips?)

The first depiction was not so much about mortgage pay down but instead using the benefit of leveraging the full refinance to gain substantial business capital to grow a lot faster.

Be nice, check in with them and be on their mind constantly for the next couple weeks/months while you get your feet wet in RE in one way or the other.Sometimes, getting thrown to the fire will make you learn it a lot faster/better knowing you have 0 coming in every 2 weeks. 

If they do a good job they will pay for themselves by getting it rented faster at a higher rate and to better tenants.

@Jeffrey Bresch The monthly mortgage payments I was referring to are those on the existing (foreclosing) mortgage.Since you don't have much time, direct PM might be faster.