I'm going to be taking some time to get to know people in my market as I kind of want to start local in Las Vegas.

@Ryan Brown  I've been a LL for a long time. 

It was a big project in terms of the amount of work it needed, I just ran out of time with my lender going through the garbage with the contractor, finding a new one, and finishing taking the longest. other than that I would've let it sit on the market to get closer to what I actually wanted for the property.

Hey Timothy, What part of NJ are you looking in?

For a first-time investor though, I'd seriously consider starting with a turnkey duplex.

It’s awesome that you’re diving into real estate and taking the time to build a solid foundation first.

Then, after I had experience and several wins, people were willing to partner with me on deals, or lend to me in second position for a short period of time to help with the down payment and with repairs and then I would pay them back when I would refinance.

I would give them a list of what you’re looking for/at ahead of time and obviously not linger in areas where this couldn’t be a concern.

If anyone needs a boots on the ground inspector to do walkthroughs or gather info for a property you don't have time to check out or if you're out of state.

For the most part all you do is monitor your bank account.