Buyer-paid real estate agent commission (Yes, I recommend buyers have their own buyer's agents.

The lenders simply are not interested in financing a deal where the buyer has such a small amount of skin in the game.If you don't mind, can you touch on how you were able to obtain the type of financing structure that allowed for a seller-held 2nd mortgage? 

Find your cash buyers via propstream, batch leads etc.

many houses in the midwest, for example, are very old and need major rehabs.i personally think out of state investing is more difficult than advertised, and much more difficult in the current investing environment, with: prices high; interest rates high; tremendous demand for inventory, by both investors and retail buyers; and good PMs, contractors, etc. booked up.here's a really thoughtful thread with the experience of another CA investor and lots of different responses:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/1215726-break...and here are some threads about how it can very easily go wrong:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1159104-overl...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/963/topics/1195280-expe...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1160450-run-i...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1137397-balti...finally, you also said you "don't have a lot of money to start with." 

@Sean Michael San Diego's real estate market can be a tough call for renters vs. buyers! 

Whether you consider that good or bad depends on whether you are a buyer or seller. 

You can target specific people looking to sell their home and tell them that you are an interested buyer.

Scan those lists in the markets that interest you and look to see who the buyers and sellers are.

There are many great advantages to being a buyer or seller. 

After we drafted a bare-bones plan that considered their timeline, target rents, and capital reserves, they honed in on a medium-sized complex managed by a local group.. from what I’ve heard, these guys had impressed other out-of-state buyers before and delivered on their promises.