Unless the contractor is a friend of yours, they aren't going to go to a house you aren't buying just to tell you how much something costs and if they did, it may not translate to the next home.

I have a friend with a skid steer, and if we can't do it it's probably not worth it!

I was a foster child who put myself through college on my own, and I have relied on some good friends for a place to stay as I grew up, which has motivated me to create a better life for myself.I have done a lot of research on real estate, and from my perspective, it seems as if wholesaling, which I feel my sales skills may help with, would be a good place to start to make some extra money to speed up the investing process.

And I hope to be ready to buy within 9 months (we are moving from LA)  Agents that aren't keeping deals to themselves (or friends) are a rarity.

Since your friend covers utilities, this offsets some of your cost.

Still landlord friendly.

Finder's fees of 30% of first month of rent that one of my friend paid in Collin county.

In today's world you need to be about 28-35% down on properties to be gross cash flow positive, closer to 40-42% to be truly net cash flow positive(i.e 50% of your income goes to maintaining the property, other 50% is actually profit).My recommendation is to buy ideally a 4/3 SFR that's a starter-friendly one in a good area, and rent it out by the room.

We are already surrounded on three sides by urban zoned homes.My neighbors and I have been approached by two individuals, one is a neighbor who is a real estate agent, and the other one a friend of a neighbor, who works with a real estate attorney; both individuals asked us to join them in working with the 5-6 developers they have approached.

To maximize cash flow, find suitable properties, analyze numbers, and focus on student-friendly amenities.