You can shop 10 or 20 lenders in a weeks time, find out what products they offer, what rates, what overlays and qualifications they each have for you.... 

That’s why the successful wholesalers and flippers I know spend $10,000 and more MONTHLY on marketing.  2.

@Mattin Hosh it's not exactly easy to do this.DM us if you'd like to chat about it more...

This would be my first real estate investment, making the decision even more critical.I understand that backing out would mean losing the $2,000 earnest deposit.

Try to find a property manager that also does sales / brokerage.

Otherwise, if the numbers make sense and your credit is good, it should be easy to find a lender.

Also, having a rehab budget already laid out with explanations on how you got the numbers would help and is definitely a plus when I look at deals even though I typically wont use their numbers it at least shows a little more effort. 

NC is a great market for your goals, however it will be challenging to find inventory that has much cash flow; many people who toss money into multifamily here do it to avoid the tax bill + take the 10 year runway of growth.

It's also unfortunate, that veterans (like you and I) can't do a cash-out refinance using a VA cash-out. 

Any tips or advise would be great!