Need help validating some BRRR assumptions in southeast SLC

[Keith Mikkelson]

Hi All!

I'd been making a plan to execute my first BRRR a year or two from now elsewhere, but without getting into it, life happened, and an opportunity arose to buy my first property in SLC! Things are moving pretty quick and I'm a bit overwhelmed with how much education on the SLC market I have to catch up on, so I apologize for this post jumping around a bit.
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As a skier, I'm particularly interested in southeast SLC - somewhere close enough to jump on to 210 with ease. Ideally I'd be looking at a multi-family with 3-4 units, that's rentable as-is, but has DIY-able improvements left on the table(i.e. don't want to be on the receiving end of somebody's flip).

My assumptions are as follows:

1.) at a glance, properties look like they're definitely cash flowing in southeast SLC. Agree? disagree? dependent on units?

2.) I don't know a soul in SLC... but my friends that are house-hunting elsewhere tell me its a GRIND trying to secure a deal on an FHA loan(I'm looking to throw as little money down as possible, so FHA 3% would be ideal). I'm assuming the same goes for SLC?

3.) The best time to buy in most places seems like summer.  I live in Seattle right now, and I love the summers here. If buying a place in SLC is the goal, it seems like a bad idea to try to hold out until late summer or fall... do you agree? disagree?

Side note: I haven't gone through the loan approval process in SLC yet, but lets call my loan approval amount 600k. It seems like this keeps me in the 2-unit range(3 if I'm very lucky).. would love to get my hands on a 3/4-unit. My girlfriend and I are definitely getting married, and she's very onboard with BRRR'ing ourselves out of our 9 to 5's... ignoring the whole 'investing with a significant other that you're not married to yet is risky' thing... if you were me, would you bring in her 2nd income to raise the loan approval amount in an effort to get a 3/4 unit? or would you keep only my name on the FHA, preserving her ability to secure her own FHA loan? The latter is kind of what I had my mind on, but am very open to others' perspectives.

depending on your answer to #2, any and all house-hunting advice welcome.

Thanks in advance!

-Keith