But most investors have no interest in buying a turnkey property either, and we have figured out a way to deliver a helluva product and value to those that do. 

*Location Matters — Neighborhoods that have high demand, quality schools and close proximity to shops and services tend to draw buyers willing to pay a premium for a well-renovated house.

These companies selling products tend to drain agents dry at these conventions selling every do dad that is supposed to give them an edge over everybody else.

Where you fall in that range will be dictated by bedroom count per unit and the quality of the area/building itself.

A great resource to check out is The Frugalwoods—they share practical strategies for cutting food expenses without sacrificing quality.

I guess I could do some work-arounds -- maybe reserve one unit in the first purchase for use as an AirBnb, and reserve my own time in it when needed - instead of claiming it as a primary.Are either of you (or anyone) familiar with a finance product/loan that will allow me to purchase under $150,000 (w/ strong credit) and do much of my own work and live-in a portion as a primary residence?  

Great tools that get updated regularly.I am on the lending side of things and would be happy to hop on a call with you anytime to discuss financial strategies and help answer any questions you may have about nearly any loan product available to help you on your journey, even if they are not products my capital partners offer.We are all here to help you learn and grow.

@Chase AlexanderRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

I would love to talk with a lender to get a better handle on the products that help investors BUT in my strategy, I am leaning toward NOT using hard money at first(if I can avoid it).

Many education programs that could be scams promote junk services and the quality of all they sell or promote is definitely junk.