The plan included significantly reducing (eliminating) the 1031 Exchange. 

It sounds like you have them defined in your post, but maybe just hone in on those and really start eliminating markets that don't fit them instead of debating their individual perks against one another.

I've read that Absentee Owners get multiple offers every week in some markets.Two new lists that are proving effective are Homeowners with Low Financial Stability Scores (FSS) and Seniors with Long-Time Ownership.Good luck

Also, prices were somewhat artificially inflated and lenders have become more conservative, effectively moving prices back down to a more authentic level. 

One play you could do is a cash out refi if it doesn't effect your debt service too much, and still cash in on additional appreciation in the CA market.

As stated above, as long as you get an experienced 203k lender on your team, and effectively compile a list of 5-7 licensed, insured, and bonded contractors to bid the project, it’s absolutely worth the endeavor.

Social media is a big player to market your brand and business. How do you utilize social media to increase engagement and promote yourself? How often do you post on the feed? How often do you post on stories?

Have you implemented a blog to your website? What did you notice about engagement after you started doing this – did it drive more traffic? Anything on the topic helps! I am debating starting a blog on our website, so...

My first property I’m planning on paying for myself by using an fha loan after that I want to use the brrrr strategy to build my portfolio quickly and effectively but that isn’t possible without using other people’s money.

Effectively, allowing you to amortize it over 30 years which is likely to result in a much lower mtg payment than paying monthly PMI.