@Marquell Jones , a strategy I see used in my ultra red hot market is to make backup offers.

Not ultra rich by any means but come and go as I please and purchase what I want.

Investing in real estate (at the beginning if you’re not ultra wealthy) is not a hands of investment.Maybe I could agree to a turnkey in your location, as you could get a clean property with vetted tenants and a good property manager and then from there watch over your asset and make strategic changes/moves.

It can get tricky to find deals in these ultra competitive markets,  Keep patient :) 

Let's say I came to you and said, "Hey Alex, I have an opportunity for you: I'd like you to invest your money into a business that's losing money every year, with a single asset (thus ultra low diversification), and where I'm banking on appreciation over an unknown time scale because 'values always go up'?".

Looks like they went with the ultra cost effective route on upgrades but they're still upgrades.

Yeah the ultra conservative in me is thinking this path because of the point of if i pay of a property and move forward I can always afford the rent payment of the rental if the tenant leaves until I need to rent it out again.

Pick the one with the best online reviews or that you like the best, ask them for a VA loan mortgage referral (which will almost certainly not be some big box national "Ultra Mega Patriot Freedom Fighters United" type outfit reminiscent of the used car lot right outside the base gates where the E-3s can get a Dodge Charger with $250 down and a 25% APR). https://lgy.va.gov/lgyhub/home... 

More details to cover for the programs that are not explained here (or this would be an ultra long post since the guidelines are a couple pages : ) so best to go over with a brief call. 

If 20 respond, ultra low ball.