so here's the story. my team and i are new (real new) to all of this. we are looking for mentors that we can learn from. when my sister first approached me with this idea i thought she was drinking again. but no. she is looking ahead and knows we must work together to be successful. three of us work full time, one inherited cash. credit for two of us is good, the other two-not so much. we heard about hard money lender and it sounds appealing because i didn't want to take out my 401k because if this deals go sour, i  will be in trouble. yes i will have my retirement (govern.civil service ). also, there are three adults crammed into a 2 bedroom 1 bath house and i want to buy a house. i am a veteran and never used my va loan benefit. question now is, should i buy a house with VA, wait a bit, use the equity to buy a rental?

I spent my money foolishly like many young adults do and I also lived with my single father always having to help with bills to keep the house we lived in.

:)Unless home school teaching adults have a formal education in finance, keeping up with current matters, it's better to get a text book and teach from that. 

I always tell a possible tenant that as long as 2 adults are living their, both names have to be on the lease and credit check on both of them must be done, even if they are not married.

Less bickering if less tenants are sharing a space, less parties with smaller units, and no issues with the authorities limiting the number of unrelated adults at one address.  

Ultimate goal would be to do this full time at some point, I am a hands on guy who has spent my adult life in construction, currently as an electrician for the last 16 years.

When people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I am in the adult daycare business!

Phil,I know what you mean about the schools, but maybe this means you should be looking in areas that cater to young adults who aren't focused on schools yet. 

Anyway it’s a triplex with a main front house and two units in back; the front house seems to be occupied by a mother father and an adult son who has a fixation with Scarface (go figure why he still stays at home).

.- She might have 1 or 2 adult children living with her as well- She has one eviction back in 2004.