In the multi unit buildings I put on lease "Each tenant shares responsibility for removing snow and salting on both walkways and sidewalk infront of property" and I have them initial before we execute lease.

Starting sooner rather than later allows you to benefit from long-term appreciation, build equity, and gain hands-on experience, even with a smaller property.

They make it easier to scale your portfolio and build wealth. 

I learned new things to look for during inspection, and I also learned a lot about the overall process of buying a investment, and what I could do better the second time.

To save those costs, you might want to stick to some year build and older, for example, if you cannot do inspections on the properties that you are buying due to off-market deals or something else that is hindering you (all sellers I buy from do not want anyone in the home till we close).

You could build or flip less expensive units and sell them to your clients/occupants over time.

My go-to response is always: Do you have a Move-In Inspection to document the home's condition beforehand?

But success depends on choosing the right cities and building an experienced and reliable local team.

As a beginner investor based in the Seattle metro area, I'm eager to learn from your experiences and share my journey as I get started in this field.My current strategy is to focus on live-and-flip for the first three deals (looking for my second deal) to gain hands-on experience while building equity and learning the ins and outs of renovation and the local market. 

I would focus on being an agent and building that business.