While land loans still require good financials, smaller local lenders are often more willing to work with unique situations.You could also look into partnering with a private lender or forming a joint venture with someone who shares your vision.

As long as you're prepared to be a landlord and live next to your tenant for at least a year, house hacking is a great way to get started.

I have a few friends who is very pro Ohio (Akron and Columbus specifically), but i ventured elsewhere.

This gives them significant control and security.Joint Venture Agreement with Personal Guarantee: We establish a Joint Venture (JV) agreement that includes a personal guarantee, providing an additional layer of security for our investors.Memorandum Filing: We file a memorandum in the county where the property is located.

Ideal if you're short on cash upfront, but be prepared for higher monthly payments.Conventional Loan: @Chris Seveney and I agree conventional is your better option.  

Sad times we live in just as we enter bear market today & prepare for crash of our lifetime!

If I was the landlord here are the questions I would be asking - providing these so you could be prepared if they come up:1.

The human race has historically been poor at predicting future, so it's wise to prepare for multiple scenarios.Mortgage rates in 2025 may decrease slightly if inflation stabilizes and the Federal Reserve eases rates, though they are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic lows.

Also consider contacting houses that look vacant, simply door knocking in a neighborhood that you are interested in and talking to the homeowners in a genuine way, For Sale By Owners is another potential, using an App like Nextdoor or Facebook pages/groups related to local real estate and just telling the group what you are looking for, contractors also know about houses coming on the market soon and so do property management companies, and finally garage sales are a good way to find off-market properties as people prepare to sell.To Your Success!

So better be prepared for another year at least with negative cashflow.