Ideally, if you are a have and hold investor you want to purchase late in Phase 1 or early in Phase 2.

Whether it's right for you and it fits your goals/risk tolerance is for you alone to decide.

Also, as time pass you can save more. ideally $275k-$450k is ideal for a 2-3flat.

And it fits into your goal of building a portfolio. 

Ideally your rents will cover most/all of the expenses and lower your cost of living which will then accelerate your savings rate. 

Ideally you want to use comps within .5 mile of the subject property and purchased within the last 6 months. 

Now that guy fits the exact description of what my grandpappy used to say, "I'd rather be lucky than good!"

My credit score is over 780 so I feel a 3% down conventional would be ideal, and within one to two years, have the HELOC on my condo (when I mention HELOC, it's the one on my condo)paid off and actually put down 20%-30% for an actual rental property.More experienced real estate moguls, what would you do to speed things along so I could buy another property sooner rather than later? 

Ideally, your rents received will cover most/all of your expenses which will lower your cost of living and accelerate your savings rate.

You will find syndicators specializing in a wide variety of asset classes, each with a strategy that may or may not be a fit for your personal investment goals.