I'm very blessed as I'm already about 90% retired and not even 52 years old or have kids to worry about. 

I want to build up enough monthly Cash Flow to quit my W2 job and build enough for retirement.  

I've done several like that myself in DFW.If your goal is to retire yourself in 18 months, I don't think either choice really makes a big difference.  

Do you mean that you can't retire on $18k/mo?

@Daniel Saunders,Get familiar with how to raise money from people with self-directed retirement accounts, or folks with retirement accounts who are looking for better returns with less volatility than the stock market.By definition, private lenders are people with whom you have established a relationship before discussing money.

I'm going to be relocating to the Newport, Rhode Island area to retire.

I want to one day retire and buy a portfolio of property that is worth 200K+ to 1M and the 1031 Exchange is  a great way to get rich and do that. 

Now I want to earn passive income so that I can retire 10 years from now.

My question for the experienced is this...I'd like to BRRRR this but I'm 52,  so the idea of holding a mortgage for 30 years isn't very appealing as I'd like to use the rental income as my retirement in 15-20 years.

Some books to consult are "The Ultimate Guide To Self-Directed Retirement Plans" by Thom Garlock; Steve Case's book "Tax Free Note Investing," and "Your IRA Can Buy Notes & More" by John Merchant, J.D.