I'm looking to purchase my first property with my fiancé (both 25) with the goal being to establish our primary residence together, as well as giving me the opportunity to add equity/value via rehab before moving on and converting the property into a rental within a year or so to kickstart an investment portfolio.An interesting lead that recently came up is my parent's neighbor's house.

All-In Costs & Profitability-ARV: $450K-Purchase Price (financed): $170K-Repairs: $150K-Holding Costs & Financing: ~$20K–$30K (insurance, taxes, utilities, interest, etc.)

and also like what I do Utilize as STRs: You furnish and list these properties as short-term rentals (STRs) on platforms like Booking.com or Airbnb.Generate Cash Flow: The higher rental income from STRs, compared to long-term rentals, allows you to cover your mortgage/lease payments, generate positive cash flow, and potentially have funds left over for further investments.Positive Cash Flow: STRs often generate higher rental income than long-term rentals, allowing you to cover your costs and potentially profit.Tax Advantages: You can often deduct expenses related to your STR business, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, and maintenance costs.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

I believe you can also utilize an independent savings account, but you should check with the bank to make sure.

In almost all cases when investors first come to us we say utilize the conventional route as much as you can. 

Utilizing the many resources to analyze deals and help find investor friendly professionals in your area has helped me tremendously.  

My partner and I keep an excel spreadsheet of rent, our purchases, utilities, taxes, insurance, and money spent on contractors.

Also, by utilizing the field in the MLS for garage apartment or mother in law suite will help pick up in the searches online too.

Suppose new companies do not establish operations in your investment city to create replacement jobs with similar pay.