Don't over leverage and carry reserves.

You can always leverage rentals within their ability to service the debt. 

If you’re considering leveraging hard money lending (HML) for this flip, it could be a strong alternative to traditional financing—especially since HML is quicker to secure and designed for investors aiming to flip properties fast.With HML, you’re typically looking at covering a significant portion of both purchase price and rehab costs, which keeps more of your cash free for other expenses or emergencies.

So I picked up a few books which includes, "The Book on Investing In Real Estate With No (and Low) Money Down," and "The Book on Rental Property Investing," both by Brandon Turner, which introduced me to the BiggerPockets community.With a decade of experience in property management under my belt, along with my property management certifications and an NC real estate broker’s license (with Broker-In-Charge designation), I’m eager to leverage my background to secure long-term financial stability for my family.

Have you looked into leveraging local REIA groups?

We embrace S8 applicants, but screen them just like any other applicant.Many have an entitlement mentality and try to leverage their S8 voucher by pretending to be helpless:1) A percentage won't apply because they expect a landlord to waive application fees for them.2) Many cry broke and expect a landlord NOT to charge them a security deposit.3) Many of those same S8 tenants trying to avoid paying a security deposit, won't make an effort to call the list of nonprofits we send them that will pay their security deposit if they apply.4) A lot of them try to avoid paying for utilities.

It may make the most sense to focus on home 1 and then leverage the funds from that sale to complete house number 2 and purchase more projects. 

I'm not sure what leverage you would have outside of taking legal action, these are generally things that should all have been on the closing statment along with deposits etc. 

Partner Driven saw a fantastic opportunity to leverage the property’s market-ready condition, allowing for a swift and profitable transaction with minimal investment or risk.

Additionally, consider operational costs like cleaning, staffing, and marketing, as they can quickly add up.For management, outsourcing to a professional property manager or leveraging tech platforms for bookings and operations could streamline things, especially if you plan to scale.