After that all you need is the right team.  

A strong team can streamline processes and reduce headaches.Expand Knowledge: Podcasts and forums like BiggerPockets are great tools.

Hello all,My team and I are looking to purchase property in Cape Coral/fort Meyers area.

I guarantee your life would be so much better if you removed her and replaced her with a good renter.Do yourself a favor: buy "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" by NOLO.

Its pretty awesome (BTW, I am not affiliated with FUB, just a passionate users)You can capture all the homeowner demographics along with associated relationships and information - pictures, files, emails, notes, calls, text, etc.You can have a team number(s) at no addition costs (we use it to lead generate for different states and can be configured to round-robin. 

Your focus on the Dallas market and Fix and Flip projects sounds solid, especially with the DIY approach and having an interior designer on your team. 

That said, when there are profits for both sides of the equation (borrowers & lenders), private investors/hard money lenders are more inclined to favor the project.

At the end of the day, the backbone of every business is pretty much the same: you need a strong, committed team.

I do think opening up your criteria, will work in your favor. 

Start small with duplexes or triplexes, analyze deals carefully, and build a team of local experts.