Is it possible?

Columbus is going to be more of an appreciation play and cash flow margins will be tighter in the beginning. 

Bank financing is very tough for anyone starting out so HML is generally ( unless you use your own cash or cash in your network) the only funding there is.. the goal has to be though moving towards bank financing so you get the best deal possible.. right now I am at 1/2 point and 7% and my bank pays for my appraisals.

Building a Team: While I can handle most of the renovation work myself, I’d need an electrician and possibly a real estate agent.

In playing with the numbers a bit, I'm seeing a trend of atleast 2% rent to price and (ideally) < 7% mortgage rate needed to achieve a decent cash on cash rate.

When trying to analyse STR I try to use as many data sources as possible, AirDNA, Rabbu, Pricelabs and good old networking, ask around see what other investors are getting for their units. 

Not siding with the contractor, but as an investor you will have to learn to understand costs better and when it doesn't seem possible for the contractor to complete the work at the stated quote its best to walk away.

Looking into possible multi family or error.thank you.  

Thank you, Adam  Hey Adam, obviously Bias here as we are accountants, but yes with three properties is definitely worth hiring a CPA or tax specialist that focuses on real estate to ensure all your taxes are filed compliantly, properly, and you're getting all the deductions possible.

There are still a few that will give you a loan but the traditional 90% of purchase price and 100% of rehab might not be possible without an exception.