It can be done successfully, but you need to have a good network of contractors, real estate agents, maybe a property manager, and even just a few friends (that you would pay for their time) in the area that you can rely on to help you in a pinch.  

Any day now I plan to put out a basket of chocolate, peanuts, candy, pillow chocolates, shampoo, etc.

We do use a wooden wine box that we load up with some drinks, nuts, cookies, some biscuit mix with my wife's home made canned jam, chocolate covered espresso beans, etc.

My thought, having been in the same pinch is to look for seller financing, a tired landlord who wants to sell on payments.

This has helped me out in several occasions when I am in a pinch. 

I invest heavily into a real estate note fund with non-qualified funds (10% and 12% preferred returns).I invest in multifamily syndications with non-qualified funds (8% preferred, 75/25 or better splits on most; 6% targeted and 65/35 on one very small investment more for fun).I invest in international agricultural real estate, like coffee (10-12% IRR) and cacao (yes, chocolate - 11% IRR).

I would work on paying off that credit card debt and then pinching pennies for a down payment. 

My operation is a family operation, all of us have FT jobs(IT, Medical, Engineering), and we are pinching pennies together leveraging via your standard 20%-30% down payment, Investor Mortgage, or paying cash for a place to add to the Portfolio of Properties.  

Literally sitting over here pinching pennies on an inspection report - unreal Unless you're an expert in inspection/construction or getting an amazing deal that can overcome any problems you find about later - get the report 

People should though research and not put themselves in a pinch financially.