A lot of investors just gets their contractors in there and get itemized bids especially if the contractor has good eyes.

@Marc YoungWhat catches my eye in your post is this:“I don’t want to have to wait a long time to save more money to buy my second one.”

I know you mentioned a realtor (I am an investing agent), but if you ever want someone else's opinions/eyes on something, let me know.

So go into your investment opportunity with open eyes to what delivers the best returns.  

If you are in VA and interested in investing out of state, I would recommend Baltimore or any other city you would be willing to drive to so you can get eyes on the area.You also will not get any first time homebuyer benefits if you are planning to buy an investment property.

If you have eyes on another property that needs to close quickly, we can look at doing a Short term Bridge product.

I'm looking to purchase my first SFR in NJ, and Trenton caught my eye due to the low entry point.

All my projected cashflow from year 1 gone in the blink of an eye. 

You are another example of someone coming into the forums and showing all the scammers out there that you are open to it.Judgment is in the eye of the reader.

I read the Millionaire Next Door for the first time recently and it honestly opened my eyes to a lot of these constraints and how societal pressures keep us trapped within this vicious cycle.