Quote from @Devin James: Im currently learning this lesson with New Builds that have taken twice as long to complete than anticipated.....Finishing a Real Estate project ASAP is critical because...1) Holding Costs add up quickly- Loan Interest- Property Taxes- Insurance2) Investor Capital- Our financial projections are dependent on how fast we can turn our investors capital.

I think your goal of getting your first RE investment for around $50k is doable as long as you plan to leverage debt (Loan). 

Experience depends on who you deal with - the cleaner the loan file and more organized your paperwork the smoother the process with any private lender.

Your VA loan will be crucial to your real estate investing growth, especially since it affords you the potential opportunity to own more than one property, depending on your overall allotment.For active military personnel, that conundrum of where to invest and where you will end up is always part of the issue that sometimes causes analysis paralysis so it's great you have one in VA Beach already.

Purchase price: $302,500 Cash invested: $5,000 Utilized VA Loan for a House Hack for my first Rental Property.

Hello I am going to sell my primary residence in Idaho and use the proceeds to buy a less expensive home in Oregon without a mortgage loan (all cash).

What they will offer you is an appliance package, or closing cost help, or a low fixed rate loan. 

If you Bank/Lender does not allow it you can refinace the mortgage into a DSCR or true Portfolio loan program. 

You want to make sure they are properly installed and you don't want tenants moving large appliances in and out of the house as it will cause damage. 

I have experience in the flip, rental, space and can help with the loan, and the real estate broker piece.