I am eyeing up a property I want to buy that costs much more than usual so my plan was to use a hard money loan to purchase, and rehab it with my own money, then sell. 

Looks like there is one program that has not closed yet in Ohio, maybe not the right county, but I would call anyway, they typically know who else could help.https://nlihc.org/rental-assistance?

If you're competing for a hot property or need to close quickly, fast closings can make or break the deal.

I'm still in the process of growing my portfolio, but have heard others 1031 all their smaller properties into a larger building and have a property management company manage, OR, set up a seller financing deal with another buyer that gives you the cash flow you desire. 

A scenario where you intented to hold but something came up like an unsolicited offer, higher expenses forcing a sale, change in demographics etc.   

My advice: don’t overthink it—your first house hack is about learning, so pick a strong rental market, ensure solid demand, and lock in a deal that gets you close to break-even or better.

These are typically interest only and require a payment of 1-4 points up front depending on your area and the PML.

Purchase price: $140,000 Cash invested: $22,000 Sale price: $180,000 Moratorium expired a few months before closing and I inherited 2 tenants couldn’t get into the property for 3 months!

There is a safety and follow up piece to have the proper information.

But keep in mind, the top of their list is going to be people that they’ve worked with in the past and probably closed deals with.