I still think if you're an investor, you need to run your numbers carefully. 

Research market rents, carefully calculate expenses, and ensure you have a solid lease agreement.

At the end of the day, 99% of sellers and brokers only care about your surety to close (I leave out 1% that might care about HOW you operate your deals, regardless of price paid).The fact that you have never closed a large transaction AND are not providing all your proof of funds up front and/or talking with brokers about where the money is coming from, will give them some trepidation.  

With careful planning and local insights, Richmond can be a solid addition to your investment portfolio.Good luck!

I’m 30 years old, 10 month old son, juggling taking care of the family, property of 21 acres, an old farm house, work, and real estate.

No one will care more about your success then you.

Find them at local real estate meetups, but be careful, it's a sketchy business overall.

I know you said you don’t expect anything major on the properties soon, but I would take a careful look at what is most likely to need to be replaced soon and figure out how you would pay for that if it needed to be done tomorrow.

I always viewed it as "who cares how much money I put down", I plan to pay them all of before I retire as part of my ultimate strategy anyways. 

Are there other more creative ways to start cash flowing in year one Be careful because federal mortgage fraud and going to jail is a real thing.