Was there a way to do this myself online which would have worked better?  

Go to Etsy and search for "rental property tracker," and you will find hundreds of nice spreadsheets to track 10-20 rentals, usually for under $10.Software has extremely helpful features like online payments, marketing syndication (click a button, and your property is advertised on multiple sites), electronic document review/signing, maintenance tracking, and owner reports.

The free apps usually provide less functionality than the paid ones.Reviews: Be sure to read online reviews before making a decision.

As you're starting your journey, here are a few tips to help you along the way:Educate Yourself: Take advantage of resources like books, podcasts, and online courses focused on real estate investing.

Tons of hours of YouTube and reading forums online and hours of applied work on my own properties.

Facebook Marketplace and CraigslistDon’t underestimate the potential of social media and online platforms.

If you're unsure whether your mortgage is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you can use their online loan lookup tools to verify [oai_citation:2,For Homeowners Affected by a Natural Disaster](https://myhome.freddiemac.com/docs/Natural_Disaster_Relief_Consumer_Flyer_GSEs.pdf?

As of now, my general plan is to find a local realtor online who is experienced with real estate investing (and has investment properties of their own) to help me find a good local deal (goal is 20-25% return on ARV), get a hard money loan, aiming to rehab/repair/extend the property with my father (both have construction experience) within 4-5 months, and as for the loan exit strategy either sell or rent (depending on the deal). 

The property assessed value is $210,800 according to Real Property Assessment Division online record.

I did go online and read about DSCR ground up loans, so I know they are out there.