Hi KyleThe way most real estate for sale is priced these days there’s little to no cash flow after debt service with 25% down - borrowing a down payment would put the investor in a negative monthly position. 

This negative position can consume years of cash flow to recover.

Or should I wait it out a couple of years until I have a larger amount saved up.

Rents have been pretty close to what the housing authorities advertise, sometimes even a bit higher.Fort Wayne’s a solid spot with low taxes and good cash flow—definitely worth looking into.

If you can qualify for an FHA mortgage that amount can be as little as 3.5% of the loan value.  

I wouldn't go negative unless i was so confident I could take on that amount like maybe 50-100$ a month.

where can we find places-websites to analyze areas that will provide positive cash flow?

Is your income considered variable in nature depending on job sites and that you do not work a set amount of hours per week?

Lower property taxes, affordable housing compared to LA (CA buyers are usually cash buyers because what they net from their smaller home in CA can get them a bigger home here, often covered by what they net from their CA sale), allergies (smog), and politics. 

If the rental income doesn’t sufficiently cover the debt payments by their standards, they’ll limit the loan amount, even if the property is worth more.You could try a few alternatives:•Look for lenders who specialize in commercial real estate and have more flexible DSCR requirements.