The point is think creatively and find ways to have others pay your Mortgage!

Or is there another creative way to save up without extending myself too far?

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

So basically I am here in an effort to find some more ideas on creative financing, and how I can put the money we currently have saved (around 30-40k) to work for us, in an effort to get into the market.

A “creative person”, someone who didn’t post this idea on a public website, might suggest you could do a 1031 exchange in to a property (h3) that might someday, say more than a year later, become your new primary after it was a rental. 

reviews and will not ping you in general if we have that or similar).SUPER EXTRA BONUS HINT: You already moved those down payment funds from your "business" checking account into your "personal" checking account 3+ months ago, so I'm not going to have to ask your CPA to write a letter "promising" that the use of "business" funds for your down payment will not impact your business operations (mini hint: no reputable CPA is going to write that letter FYI, see above about insurance...).Your self-prepared ("stated income") 2019 YTD P&L shows that you're doing even better than you were in 2018 or 2017.If you did ALL of the above including the super extra bonus hint: Then I'm over 60% sure that your 2018 taxes will be the ONLY basis of your income calculation, assuming of course an above-average competence lender local to the state where you are buying real estate.

Do you have the time, knowledge, team and inclination to go out, kill something, drag it home and prepare it OR would you rather stroke a check and go to a restaurant? 

By doing that I can learn more ideas, get more creative, etc.

As a result, I want to lay out a scenario I hope to create (let's assume I can create the scenario below) and I am asking feedback on all of the things that could go wrong that I should anticipate/prepare for: Scenario:5 fourplex properties = 20 units (average $900/month rent) - Looking for cash flow not necessarily appreciation for these properties$1.5MM in investment property debt (Average purchase price $300K; Market Value $400K)$500,000 equity across properties (Average $100K)Loans: Conventional fixed rate or seller financing fixed rateRental Income: $18,000Mortgage for all properties monthly: $10,000Cash Reserves on hand: $200,000 (separate from the equity in the properties)Reason for Scenario: My purpose in stepping away from a full-time job would be to start ramping up flips to pay down the mortgages over time.

Find a Layer to fire the first Salvo but be prepared for an all out Battle.