Hopefully my link to my detailed process will help with some anxiety:.....

These deductions are what we want to focus on.Deductions help REDUCE your taxable income.

Then look at your overall Schedule E (or C, 1065. 1120, etc... depending on how you report) to reduce your expenses. 

Banks are under pressure now and with laws like the Corporate Transparency Act they have the government's tools behind them to reduced their riska and start calling notes due so they can sell them or move them off the books. 

If they want to get rid of it and close quickly you could see if they will reduce the price.

Other disadvantages of traditional RE investments included more volatility, worse liquidity and limited opportunity to diversify the investment portfolio.Current property crowdfunding platforms try to solve all these problems because now investors are able to pool their money with other investors, thus considerably reducing the needed amount of investment and diversifying their portfolio.

The house wouldn't be completely paid off but the loan amount would be reduced. 

My only qualm with that is that you end up locking yourself with a fixed payment that reduces your cash flow.

This will give you lots of practice at running numbers and finding deals and building your team as you are practicing, reducing your debt, and saving up some operating cash.

Owner occupied MFH is a great way to get into real estate investing, reduce living expenses, save for the next investment, and keep stepping to financial freedom.