Wholesale, foreclosure, and seller financing can work too, but I’ve noticed that careful analysis and having reliable local contacts often deliver the best results over time.So as you two gear up for your first flip, how are you balancing the potential risk with your long-term goal of buying rentals?

I don't try to evict based on neighbor complaints as those aren't super reliable and the people likely won't show up to court. 

I had to have Anderson re-do one of my LLC's from the other guys to save me money in annual state fees ..I look at it this way, as long as my business/investment income covers the costs I don't have a problem paying for reliable - worry free information and work.

These tend to attract more reliable tenants, and the properties generally require less maintenance.

But I’d say the key to success is building a reliable team on the ground.

But success depends on choosing the right cities and building an experienced and reliable local team.

On the flip side, if you've got a bunch of Section 8 tenants living in a building that's in a neighborhood where a lot of the tenant base has good jobs, high credit scores, and are generally reliable people, you've got the most risky tenants in that tenant base and that ain't what ya want.

I know building a reliable local network will be key, so I'm hoping to connect with experienced real estate team in the area.The military presence in Jacksonville catches my eye, and I'm particularly interested in properties that might appeal to military personnel and the associated contractors.

It will take time to build a dependable and reliable network of licensed professionals you can trust.

It may take you 10 years to get there, real estate is slow, but it works reliably and it's not rocket science.Agreed Marcus.