you will most likely just lose money.to make this work, you'd have to buy something distressed, rehab it, and then refinance so all the short-term funds - HELOC, c/c transfer, etc. - were paid back. 

Lilburn is along the same lines as what I noted above, your acquisition budget needs to be at least around $300k (maybe high 200s) unless the property is distressed.

I work with many investors in North Georgia who are building their portfolios with long-term rentals, often by purchasing distressed properties or those that need a bit of work.

Opportunity Zones are designated distressed areas where long-term investment and development are encouraged.3 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Opportunity ZonesDefer or Eliminate Capital Gains Tax ObligationsWhen investing in Opportunity Zones through a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF), you have the potential to defer your capital gains taxes.

And as I continue to see more and more "we buy houses, cash" advertising, even the distressed homeowners are likely getting multiple offers from wholesalers, driving up the wholesaler price, which means higher price for you.

They've made it very clear that you are not allowed to use their service for calling homeowners with distressed properties.

I’ll prioritize continuing my search for distressed and discounted properties, avoiding those areas you mentioned! 

most sellers will lack motivation if their property is not distressed - and you said you don't want something too distressed.

Probably would be something very distressed in a decent area so I could add value.

I seek properties that are to some level distressed to rehab into rentals.