@Luz Pagan this is pretty typical in a hot market if you are a new player on the scene. 

Take x dollars out of property a, invest in property b - here is profit, cash flow, risk, reward, plan to grow to multiple properties increase cash flow etc.

Market is really hot and so I don't have anything to put it into right now and good properties go quickly with multiple offers in our area. 2.  

I feel that im getting to know the larger players in the market by doing that. 

We are looking for multiple homes in those zip codes.

No, you cannot, there're very specific rules against it, despite the YouTube webinars encouraging you to deduct them (the symphony players lost a court case against the IRS trying to deduct their performance tuxedos)and so on.I know it's tempting to think you're sticking it to the IRS, but in the end they will stick it to you.

The Columbus market has been crazy and I know a large number of OOS investors are testing the waters, so just make sure you are ready to move or you will find your calls go unreturned as A players don’t have the time.

If you apply for a mortgage I believe that you have a 30 day period where you can apply to multiple mortgages where it would only count as one inquiry. 

Would it make more sense to purchase one property like a cash deal, purchase multiple properties with the private money as the down payments using the BRRRR method, or purchase a property using all of the private money as a down payment(then probably BRRRR with it)? 

Sep 2013 - Single Family home - Short sale/MLS - Short sales with other buyers fell through multiple times, we came in with a cash offer and got the deal.