Quote from @Nathan Frost: Hi, I have friends saying there are lenders that do 5% down. 

It tends to hide marks better.Walls: Neutral tones like SW Repose Gray, Behr Swiss Coffee, or Moore Classic Gray are renter-friendly and modern.Trim and Doors: Use a crisp white like SW Extra White or Moore Chantilly Lace.Accent Walls: For a touch of style, consider an accent wall in soft blue-gray. 

Both Indianapolis and Louisville are excellent markets to consider—affordable entry points, landlord-friendly laws, and steady rental demand.Since your background is in data science and analytics, you already have a strong foundation for analyzing deals.

A good friend of mine has a real estate related service business he wanted to scale.  

NY is a very tenant friendly state, so if he doesn't leave and she's on a month to month.

There are opinions on these forums and people have a right to them and people may take it as criticism. real estate is not a business where everyone is friendly and just as you have shown from whoever was trying to scam you and has nothing to do with doing your best, its about being educated before moving forward. 

You have a friend, He will rent it in its present condition as soon as you make it available to him for $90 per month. 

Drue, looking at your family friend’s property, there’s definitely some room to maneuver here.

You’ll also want to know how they handle rent collection and late payments and if they can provide references from other investors they work with.A good investor-friendly agent should have a strong network of professionals like contractors, inspectors, and lenders to help with your investments.

There is also a recent Bigger Pockets Podcast called " Is This the Most Beginner-Friendly Way to Start Investing?