Also, can I refinance with just my rental portfolio as income and my substantial holdings in my 401K? 

If you're talking about doing the auction That's what I was trying to avoid as the price will go up substantially

I even hear in some cases their markets are filled with properties that would have a negative cash flow.Our market is pretty safe in that outside of this past Covid influenced year, you consistently have demand with the influx of students that need housing, medical professionals, etc.As to the very best investment opportunities, overall, I have to say the value of whole salers in our market & their role has significantly increased.

Change the 4% to 6% and it gets even crazier --> the same property would be worth $1,790,000 in 10 years, giving you $900,000+ in equity.Cash flow from 2-3 properties doesn't have the potential to change your financial life substantially, appreciation does.

If you have a substantial amount of cash, you can use the BRRRR method.

They can sometimes tap into pools of money to help ensure that rent is paid if the potential renter cannot make the full payment or needs help with a more substantial deposit.

Work your sphere of influence. 

Keeping in mind that every market is different and there are creative ways to buy properties for below market value, I was curious what the seasoned investor thinks about the current macro picture and how/if that is influencing your buying decisions currently? 

Most of them will have substantial equity, they picked up about 10% alone in 2020.

It's based on the IRS' 6-yr window to audit returns with "substantial errors", as opposed to the commonly known 3-yr window for regular audits.