I looked for a reputable replacement without any luck so I decided to tackle it myself.  

These will be our next steps to see if it's worth it to tackle the tasks.

So deciding to do "x" and accomplishing "x" then moving onto "y" and nailing "y" whil help you believe that you'll also bring home the kill when you tackle "z". 

I dropped out of college and now I’m tackling the real world.

The downside is this will take money ... likely a lot of money.I would suggest that to tackle this property, you will need a partner - or partners - with capital - which will be difficult to secure without a track record. 

I was looking for my first flip project and figured I didn't have the skills yet to tackle that one. 

- Regardless of what niche you are going to tackle, you MUST know your target real estate market prices.

Small regional banks are worth dealing with, but they are struggling right now too.Credit problems arise from all sorts of innocuous events like having a baby, a mixup with your energy provider, etc.

So, I'm not afraid to tackle a job if I have to.

You will never feel 100% ready to tackle your first deal but by taking it slow at first and developing your knowledge, increasing your network, saving more money, and building your credit (if you have to), you will be in a better position to make your first deal.