Hey Sinuway, I'd recommend connecting with a few like minded lenders and realtors who could step you through the pre approval and negotiation process.

If you have a “Preapproval” it can be much more valid, the lender may or may not have gone thru the DU process  The reason to ask for a DU is to verify that the lender Actually looked at everything they should have in order to Preapprove you and that they actually Did the DU step  It is in Your best interest to provide the DU if you want the seller to be confident in your offer.

It sounds like you're off to a great start.For your next steps, consider starting an LLC down the road for liability protection, but it's not a must right away.

Start small and think long-term by considering house hacking as a stepping stone.

I think you have a few steps to figure out, but seems like you can put it together to make a good decision.

So, as title notes, I am looking for the steps/getting started. 

We may have not built that perfect version yet, but it's only through our execution and learning experiences like these that allow us to get one step closer.

Learning about dynamic pricing is a great next step to boost your revenue by adjusting rates based on demand and seasonality.

And I really appreciate these bullet point steps to take, thank you!

Alas - I learned every step of the way about ordering materials, working with contractors, scheduling, insurance issues, etc.