I have been in property management for 20 years, almost 3 years ago I moved to Birmingham AL to start my investment journey.

I'd say start the process of securing your HELOC if you havn't done so and spend time analyzing deals and determining what type of investor you are looking to be. 

The practical reality is wanting to get started in passive investing with lower dollar amount minimum requirements.

If you can rehab and refinance (BRRRR) to extract all investment and achieve neutral cash flow you would have infinite return (most of my RE investments have achieved infinite return but the cash neutral has in particular gotten a lot more challenging when the rates rose starting Q2 of 2022).Any money extracted via a refinance is tax deferred. 

Hope this helps you get started, and good luck with your first property! 

House hacking is a fantastic way to start, but preparation is key.

I remember when Lending Home, now Kiavi started, there really wasn't anyone other than banks and private individuals that would finance a new build...and those were hard to find.

I'm also in Nashville and getting started in property mgmt.

I would like to start connecting with lenders, attorneys, realtors, title companies, and all other professional in the SATX commercial real estate market.  

Lease options, and there are a variety of types of lease options, can be a good starting strategy for many aspiring investors.