Recovery: Acquisition Mode and Develop!

On it currently, sits a 4 bd/4bath house (1900 sq ft) that we built in 2018-19.

The house isn't in a flood zone.

Yes you could buy 1 house cash for $500,000, or you could buy $2,500,000 in real estate with 20% down.When the market appreciates 20%, one would yield you $100,000 while the other would yield you $500,000.This also doesn't calculate the increased cash on cash return you will get with increased rents across all of your properties rather than 1. 

I don't think listing with an agent will work since I am not looking to sell to the general public, I do get these yellow post cards and letters from "CASH FOR YOUR HOUSE NOW" but I believe those are not investors buyers but more bird-dogs looking to get it on a contract to reassign at closing. 

Real estate investing is like exploring a new world, and it's awesome that you're diving into strategies like BRRRR and house hacking.

I bought a house with cash from pulling a heloc on my home, off market, unappraised (deal was a no brainer in a great part of town.) 

I'm a realtor with new international developer connects in both.

Both houses are new construction that was completed a couple of weeks ago.

House hacking has been my approach here, otherwise the numbers don't really work.