That all makes sense to me but it makes me wonder how can you be "financially free" or even just start building wealth if you are 100's of thousands of dollars in debt at all times.

One golden rule I follow,if it takes a long time to fix/replace when it breaks, don't buy a cheap one.Imagine, this thing breaks in the middle of your peak season and the people who can come out to rebuild are 2 weeks out....It takes at least a day or two to build something like this even if you are super skilled.

Even if you find a private seller, they will want something as a down payment.

You can still find single-family homes in the $80k–$100k range and duplexes in the $130k–$150k range, even in C and C+ neighborhoods that are seeing steady improvements.

I've been surprised at properties that have passed conventional financing though...and even FHA....also, one could present 2 offers to seller--one for a cash offer and one for seller financing (at a higher price of course). 

You'll have an option between the FHA househack 3.5% down and the conventional househack 5% down - if you're VA then even better though. 

Even facebook might have some good local groups for you.

Trust me; you don't want to miss those crucial dates and risk losing money or even blowing the whole deal.

Ask lots of questions, read as much as you can, and then ask even more questions.

On top of that, the rent-to-price ratios in Detroit often outperform other markets, which can mean solid cash flow alongside appreciation potential as the city continues to grow.The key with Detroit is understanding the nuances of the market—it has a large footprint, and neighborhoods can vary drastically, even block by block.