I see this is posted in the house-hack forum so I'll make the assumption that you want to owner-occupy your next investment.To work more hands-on, you'll want to spend time searching for deals, analyzing deals, and networking/building a team.Before your property search, I'd recommend speaking with a lender to find out how much you'll qualify for.

The idea is by spending big on amenities, you'll outperform other properties. 

The downside of allowing your capital improvement budget dollars to be held in a lender-controlled account.  

LMHA gets a staff of a couple dozen people and a big budget to be bureaucratic, the tenant gets cost effective safe housing, and we get steady rent checks)Does anyone else have these issues???

For context, I’m active in Columbus, Ohio, but I also spend a lot of time in Miami, FL.

If you have the time and want to spend the effort then doing it yourself is the way to go.

For example, when I take on a rehab I typically deposit the budget into a separate checking account solely for that rehab and pay all the rehab expenses from there making it easy to identify in my bookkeeping.

You must spend more than your net selling price.

But most importantly, they do not need to be paid back.Funding Sources:Local Government/MunicipalitiesState GovernmentPrivate FoundationsFederal GovernmentFamily OfficesCorporationsWhen applying for a grant, ensure you have an understanding of the details such as eligibility, your project readiness, the purpose, funding amount, areas of funding, limitations and deadlines for the application.The prime candidates for a grant are 1) those developing a real estate project or physical space, 2) scaled non-profits and 3) certified non-minority owned businesses.Ensure you are able to provide the following documents before applying for the grant:Show site control through documentationA project description or business planConceptual drawings or renderings of the physical spaceProfessionally prepared budgets for the company and projectWhat does the grant application process look like?

And yes, it may be a good idea to work for a wholesaler first to get your feet wet.I don't think it's necessary to spend money to get your real estate license first.