At that time I had the brilliant idea that I should pay this off as fast as I can, and had several roommates over a 8 year period, and accomplished my goal of being 33 and mortgage free (perfect time to throw all my cash into a loan at 3.25% in a bull market.. mistakes were made) . 

When you compare the numbers on a flip vs a BRRRR, I have a hard time seeing why you would go the flip route unless you’re strictly looking to build capital as fast as possible.

What is said for contractors goes for lawyers: Good, Fast, or Cheap - you get 2 out of 3. 

Buy a house for cash and then buy another one in 10 years...fast forward 40 years and you will have 4-6 rent houses free and clear.

They were cheap and fast, my biggest problem was providing so much info for 8 existing mortgages, hoas/insurance/etc. 

If they are two separate parcels you can leverage this for a better price and start indicating that you are only interested in one of the properties instead of both.... here’s a hint.... you should tell them that the one that’s closest  to the street is the only one you ate really interested in....Watch how fast the seller offers you a package deal.

-Fast forward 3 years and we are looking at buying a property ourselves.

It’s highly competitive finding good deals but if you can spot one and act fast or network off market, you could use a VA loan for a 2-4 unit and be golden.

If you really want to get up to speed fast, I know that there is the Storage Investor podcast and various investors have videos on youtube, as well much has been written about it on BP (both Michael Wagner and Scott Meyers are good resources). 

They can get fast food, have food delivered or use a microwave.