Start using my $4-5k to get my foot in the door with as many opportunities as possible.

This is kind of like asking "how much should I pay for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom 1,500 square foot house in Houston?"

And never pay a lump sum premium in the first year, you're shooting yourself in the foot.

The prices per square foot for recent sales in the neighborhood are all over the map:You can see the price-per-square-foot ranges from $66 to $308! 

Hey just look for some help I'm a first-time landlord and looking to start off on the right foot if there is any info or pointers you could offer I'm all ears just more a less looking for a wish I knew this when I started theme here thanks in advance.

As new landlords we don't even know what we don't know so we are just putting one foot in front of another and keep on moving forward. 

Better start things off on the right foot. 

A little bit of background it's a property with two separate houses on it one of which is a tiny little 600 square foot house and the main house is about 1,600 square feet.

My partner and I @Joshua Duvall are currently looking to team up with a couple others, to get our foot in the door. 

Especially the that are by the square, square foot, linear foot etc.