If you are skilled and reasonably priced we always have work.

Then finding someone willing to lend 100% of your rehab and holding costs in second position - just not very likely and if they are willing, then you should not take the loan as you are playing with inexperience which is dangerous for both sides.That said, there are ways to fund 100% but it takes creativity, one heck of a good deal spread, and a borrower with, at minimum, some education in the arena along with some skill sets and serious savvy.

.- I'm interested in investing in a local franchise and being very hands on so as to hone skills,  network etc (S, B quadrants)- I initially let youtube pick the order of the BP podcasts for me so I quickly stumbled into the Grant Cardone session.

Said differently:  you want to be at $1k/mo rent but ideally >$1100/mo, working income backwards to need semi skilled workers to afford that rental. 

You can then increase the value using your rehab/renovation skills and potentially refinance once the property is stabilized. 

@Jacob BassettNo single answer to thatStart by reading this https://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investin...You need to decide for yourself based on your own skills, background, network and capital as to what is best for you in your market. 

Managing from a distance is a learned skill.

I still view them as no real difference than the little ones - takes the same skill set (for the most part) and time investment as a SFH or a Duplex... however there are a LOT of folks making noise in that market that haven't even done a single family house deal either.I get why a broker doesn't want to talk with people...

Everybody wants the sexy high end of the market, everyone looks down on the low end and how many people are in it.All you really have to do to succeed in low-cost landlording here is to have the basic skills and time available to keep up the older, well-built properties.

While I am eager to start, I have little experience, but feel with my real estate background, management skills, and design skills.