RE Rookie standing at the fork in the real estate road (still)

[Brent Skaling]

I've been down the podcasting and "self education" path for close to two years now but I'm still taking baby steps. . . more like crawling. This spring, i took out a cash out refi on my primary residence, to use as down payment funds so I'll be ready once I find a deal. 

I'm a superintendent in the general contracting realm with a background as a carpenter. I have the passion and ability to use this skill set to aid in a potential deal ie; value add/rehab. However, I'm hung up with the specific strategy. The cash we have available doesn't go as far in my backyard, limiting opportunities compared to out of state. However, with my skill set, I have a hard time committing to an out of state deal, knowing this will hinder my ability to get/give the most value. 

I'm super interested in seller financing and think this could be my best opportunity but I haven't made those local connections or gained the confidence to move forward. 

Hoping to gain some insight and hopefully some great local Rhode Island contacts, too!

Many Thanks,

Brent