I understand, to clarify the cash flow is not my only source of funds to purchase future deals as I am able to save a large portion of my W-2 income as well and the cash flow from the property is a very small percentage comparably.  

But in that case, you can't fix what is broken.I've not even seen a great source for knowing exactly what the competition charges. 

But letting minor issues slide was my biggest mistake.

If you were limited in cash reserves atleast you'll have the HELOC as a 2nd or 3rd back up source of funds to weather storms.

The agents I have worked with have not really been a source of off market deals but that doesn't mean that it can't happen.

I also have connections where I source wholesale deals and pocket listings. 

Looking back on your earlier projects, what were the biggest mistakes or lessons learned in securing funding or managing build costs?

@Stuart Udis your absolutely right, as far as the market my biggest issue is that I don’t know that area very well and neither does the agent that is helping me.

I do not care what the source of the return is  Historically the highest return is via a value add and appreciation and is more so recently due to the recent rate increase versus earlier this century (before 2022).However, most new RE investors cannot handle extended periods of large negative cash flow.  

Findlay is a real oppotunity beause you’ve got a combination of stable job sources, a decent population size, and often lower acquisition costs compared to bigger metros.About choosing an agent..