Or what are other tips to start gaining traction from the beginning? 

Im now starting to doubt wether or not Cleveland is actually a good market to invest in?

My partner and I have a flip that we will be starting in mid march as well!

@Darrius LloydTo start your house hacking journey, research neighborhoods with potential for multifamily properties and balance affordability with tenant quality.

We hope that you can remedy the situation so that we can move into a habitable home.Suggestions that we have to fix the issues:Hire a company to rip up the carpets, treat the subfloors, and replace the carpets, at least on the main level and on the stairs.Provide an air purifier as a start to remedying the smell.Replace the garbage disposal.Hire a plumber to fix the draining issue in the bathroom sink of the smaller bedroom.Fix the tiles in the upstairs bathroom so they no longer present a safety hazard.Replace or fix the screen doors.Fix the gap between the windows and the walls in the living room.Hire a professional company to treat the entire home for pests.

Quote from @Alex Spivey: I want to start renting as soon as I can so does anyone have adviceYou want to find a place to rent and occupy, or you want to buy an investment that you can rent to others?

Cosmo - I personally don't know Phoenix well, but if I had to do this in another city I would look at income levels, crime levels, and population growth (if you can) by zip code and/or area within a DMA as a starting point.

And if you're not already using the same paint color on all properties, you should start and you can thank me for this tip later.

The time has come for me to start investing in real estate and before doing so i'm looking to build a strong and dedicated team of partners: agents, lenders, contractors and property managers mainly in the Cleveland area (but also open to markets within a 2-3 hr drive away) that already possess an excellent track record in their line of work and that value long term collaboration.

Also, if you are a minority, WRA has the Partnership for Success program, which helps pay for your start up costs.