BUT - Money does not move instantly - it takes 3-5 days from the electronic payment date for the rent to hit my bank.  

As a beginner wholesaling would be a good start,just find a good deal get it under contract and assign it to a cash buyer and get instant cash flow,in the mean time you need to find private or hard money lenders and start build a relationship with them,they have high rates but doesn't require a credit check like a conventional loan. they go by loan to value on your deal so you need to do your home work and present them a good deal that will impress them,then they require you to put down 20% normally.

I know instantly when something is priced right or not so I've stuck to what I know. 

Who here has purchased Rob Swanson and Steve Cook's Instant Empire Builders?  

Long story but I cashed that persons check instantly.

I like retail center lease rates on the books to be at or below current market so there will not be a instant cap drop upon release.

There's no barrier to entry you have to overcome, so why not just invest in your own backyard (doesn't have to be right this instant, but markets are cyclical so there will always be opportunities).Cash flow may not be as readily apparent on Day 1, but there's almost nothing capital can't fix! 

It was painful for everyone.Already, since I posted last week, payments that are initiated on Monday are settling on Friday, so the new timelines are in effect and working well.In the future, we will also start to implement even finer grained benefits for customers we know well, including things like next day payments, debit-to-debit instant payments, and more.

I would recommend using a FHA 203k loan to utilize as little amount of money as possible but get yourself a property where you can build some instant equity (to be used later as leverage for your next deal).  

I'd hate to see someone with good intentions like yourself, who is forced to scrimp on something or things due to flat out lack of funds then be labeled a slumlord, since the city has a MASSIVE hammer to whack the heck out of anyone they think of that way, as code just for exterior is basically a like new structure, down to the paint not chipping etc and they can rack up 20, 30+ code violations instantly and then take that "slumlord" to court, get a civil judgement so you can't even just walk away then, it will hurt or ruin chances for any other mortgage, they don't want that happening and I've seen it happen to people who most of the time, did deserve it. $5k won't even cover a cosmetic rehab and the city also hammered the biggest mega banks on REO homes they let slide, forcing them to hire crews I knew to spend $15k, $20k or more JUST ON EXTERIOR WORK, insides still trashed in areas where nothing sells above $50k or $60k, using same tactics.