Some lenders will fund 100% of the deal + renovations if you are experienced.Wholesaling is possible but be mindful that it is a business, you don't make any money until you can persuade someone to sell their house and then to find a buyer.I personally think its easier to be an agent, still a business but there should be people teaching you and you have more of a reputation when talking to sellers.

Refi into another bridge - if it's fully renovated it shouldn't be able to get 75% LTV and even cash out if you want, or you can do rate and term.

Purchase price: $240,000 Cash invested: $60,000 I purchased this duplex in distressed condition using owner financing for $240K and secured a $60K hard money loan for renovations.

By the time he covered eviction costs, lost rental income, and re-renovated after tenant turnovers, any potential gains were erased.Seven years later, his properties had appreciated to about $130,000 each—a 62% increase on paper.

I know a few investors in college towns who make a killing from buying homes, renovating, then renting out to multiple students per each room.

If you're willing to travel and hour and a half and be hands on then you'll most likely accrue more equity in your deal when you have a successful renovation but you're trading your time.

I'm open to either approach but I'm leaning more towards buying something that I can live in for a short time while I fix it up/renovate it and then move out and set it up as a long term rental and move on to the next property. 

Renovated the inside of the house.

I handled our rental unit renovations, but they weren't huge and this seems an order of magnitude greater.  

These regions offer affordable prices for most investors, with homes that are turnkey—either newly constructed or fully renovated, tenant-ready, and with systems that still have 10+ years of life remaining.