Currently, the ideal move for me would be to get an acre in Pinal County that I could put a house and is also zoned for MF.

If I buy a new property as a primary residence and move into that new house, will I still have to pay a down payment for an investment property if I plan to rent out the house I currently have after I move into the new house?

what i see in the land flipping courses is really just each of them regurgitating the same information there is only so much you can talk about when it comes to land.. you buy low you sell high  easy concept..

My wife and I are currently looking into starting a Birddogging service (at this point, we don't have the time to take on more than a birddogging type of role) and are interested in ways of finding the best shortsale prospects to then pass on to wholesalers and rehabbers.

Additionally, the costs of fixed rate seconds and HELOC's could come down from the double digits or make cash out refinances more feasible to tap equity for those with low first rate mortgage loans. 

I currently have a primary residence, which I purchased almost a year ago before I knew about real estate investing.

we currently live in long island, and was thinking of upstate NY, as that would be a drive away, if we ever decide to convert the STR to our vacation home.

Your current setup doesn't really keep your business and personal assets/dealings separate.To do so, you'd need to transfer those properties to an LLC you own or create a new one for that purpose.If there is a lawsuit, I'd imagine that your name, as the owner,  would appear in the documents filled.Just my 2 cents, I am not an attorney, nor a CPA

Quote from @Scott Morris: It appears as if he runs one of those programs where they hook you on a low/free cost training and then hit you non-stop with "upgrades", and "higher levels of coaching". 

Stay informed about the current market trends and clearly define your goals :)