I recently locked down my first property as I start on my real estate adventure. 

You have to front the deposit, which the contractor uses to get stuff done and that allows the drawing process to start from the escrow of rehab funds. 

A little background: Feel free to scroll down for the main reason of this post...I started out in 2011 trying everything to make my start in real estate but was not successful until 2015 when we purchased our first duplex in Fresno CA.

When I was getting started, I watched a ton of real estate podcasts on YouTube there's a wealth of knowledge to be gained from YouTube University!

You can withdraw from your 401k starting in the year you turn 55 if you qualify.I am following a plan similar to yours.

They were referrals and the business started to grow simply because I had a competent team that was responsive and looked out for the owners' best interests.

A great property manager will be your eyes and ears, handling everything from tenant screening to maintenance.When looking for a PM, BiggerPockets is a great place to start, along with investor referrals and online reviews.

Our team along with clients all are heavily investing in the area, and it is a strong place to start. close proximity to New York and New Jersey, paired with extremely affordable property/taxes and high rental demand make it on most people's radar.  

Let me know if I can be of any help as you start this journey.

When I first started out, I was insuring everything with USAA.