EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

Right, but to get an ARV close to $130k, you'll probably need rent to be close to $1,300 unless you can sell it to a retail buyer, which could be a big risk on its own. 

While I understand the risks associated with investing in areas unfamiliar to you, my budget forces me to do so.

multifamily and single family both have potential value.

Once I've completed these initial projects and built up some capital, my long-term goal is to transition into buy-and-hold investments in potentially more affordable markets to maximize cash flow and scale up.Right now, I'm particularly interested in investing locally here in the Seattle metro area.

You’ll learn the ropes on how to be a landlord with a lower risk/higher quality tenant-base. 

@Jacob Hrip For a first-time investor, financing options like a HELOC or private funding depend on your strategy and risk tolerance.

The background check is supposed to identify the amount of risk, then you determine whether you can mitigate that risk or not.

One thing in real estate and probably most other businesses is that most people including me don't know how to measure and evaluate risks.  

This level of scrutiny drastically reduces the risk of renting to unreliable tenants.Realtors vs.