As I said, you don't HAVE to pay for any tools if you can't afford it, but it will take a lot longer and be more difficult to start making money.

These areas are experiencing significant development and population growth, driven by families and professionals seeking more affordable housing while staying close to the job hubs in Plano, Frisco, and even parts of North Dallas.

Maybe that allows you to afford more rentals in the future too. 

But Mathew's comments above have given me pause, as most of my friends in the neighborhood that could afford the rent of a new condo have a car (or two).   

Here’s the context:The house appears vacant, with a large tree that has fallen on the property.From what I can see, the house seems full of furniture and might even be a hoarder home.I’ve skip-traced the property and found that the owner has unfortunately passed away.The house seems to be mortgage-free, and I’ve identified three phone numbers associated with the son, who I believe is the heir.I’d like to reach out to the son to express my interest in purchasing the property, but I want to ensure I do so respectfully while also gathering the right information.Here are my questions:What’s the best way to approach the heir while showing my condolences for their loss?

house hack in some sort of fashion.Either buy a duplex or large single family that you can rent out a room/side of the houseOr buy a fixer upper in the best neighborhood you can afford. 

Most Medicaid communities aren't nearly as nice as private-pay communities so if a senior can afford private-pay, they will almost always want to go that way instead of trying to qualify for Medicaid.Secondly, how does escrow benefit you? 

ONLY purchase training if its with funds you can afford to lose because of the failure rate.making connections is important and where success can come from.

It's much more affordable (you can get the $100 annual version instead of $300 per month like Appfolio).

Quote from @Isaac Terry: I was looking at homes in Akron & Clevand, they are affordable but since I'm out of state I'm not sure about pulling the trigger on investing.