With a FHA Loan I could easily afford a 300,000-350,000 property and start my REI journey.

Pay rent (this will likely happen again next month, we don't renew people who can't afford to pay rent on time)2.

So, we are stuck choosing a house in the middle of the Seattle area or the north end where it's more affordable.

Propwire is free and a product from Jerry Norton.

How are we going to afford buying the house, back to your main point? 

Start talking to local lenders and see what kind of products they have for construction/ rehab loans.

The government saw the housing bubble and changed guidlines with fannie and freddie to make the 10 down / 2nd home loan product very expensive (about 4 points to close).

@Ryan Rocchi we've heard good things about Rentvine.Also, Buildium is tried and true, plus affordable.

You can also find agents and lenders via the Find An Agent or Find a Lender tools.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. 

**Community Investment Program (CIP)**: Some local banks or financial institutions partner with government programs to provide low-interest loans or better lending terms for landlords who participate in affordable housing programs like Section 8.