So he bought up several owner financed properties that offered 0% down, and he cash flowed. 

Has anyone made a low offer?

Many other firms offer the same knowledge at a fraction of the cost because they don't have office overhead or tons of highly paid employees to float.

Check to see if you can market to people on active foreclosures and make an offer to buy their properties.  

Whether it's gathering around the tree, sharing laughter over a meal, or watching the magic in your loved ones’ eyes, there’s nothing like the comfort of being home for the holidays.Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Pricing has changed but J Scott's one of the smartest guys around and is one of the books I always feel comfortable recommending.

If they are relatively the same but offer a front desk etc maybe they are superior. 

Regarding getting started, I recommend finding an STR owner who's overwhelmed or just worn out with managing their property, and perhaps who's also not using a dynamic pricing tool, and then offering to manage it for a very small cost. 

I am most comfortable with long-term rentals, but I would like to try a flip or two to build my capital.

They are both a bit pricey if you're not all in and closing deals, but they also offer a 7 day free trial.