One agent I know in Raleigh frequently networks with local wholesalers and builders.

I would use the income to slowly improve the house and once you get it to a good spot, HELOC out some money for a down payment on another place rinse and repeat. 

Hi Chris from the U.P. of Michigan.Congratulations on deciding to get into real estate investing with your first Buy, Rehab, Rent, Re-finance, and Repeat or BRRRR and you are wondering where to start and who you should add to your team first.It is good you have cash or cash equivalents to buy the property and complete the repairs.As far as who to have on your team first, I would say an investor friendly Realtor who can help you find deals and introduce you to the rest of the team like a good property inspector to hopefully let you know about potentially expensive repairs early before buying the property so you can buy it well or not buy it at all.

My goal was simple: house hack, and after a year browse to hopefully repeat.

There is nothing about how long you need to occupy the property for.So unless our lender puts a demand on us I see no problems legally in occupying each property for any amount of time to fulfill the requirement, then rinse and repeating this process up to our full entitlements, so long as the lender is willing to keep giving us loans.

I thought it might be helpful to address some of the most frequently asked questions that I receive.

Repeated infractions would make any form of insurance expensive, if even available.

This extra year gives property owners more time to schedule inspections and make necessary repairs.Key Points:Applies to multifamily properties with three or more units.Covers balconies, decks, and elevated elements made of wood or similar materials.Inspections must be completed by licensed professionals and repeated every six years.Hazards identified must be repaired promptly.With the extension, now’s the time to plan ahead.

In contrast, when I owned properties in the Midwest, evictions were easy, but the tenant pool often made frequent evictions unavoidable.That said, San Diego is a high-barrier-to-entry market and isn’t for everyone.

This is a tool that is supposed to achieve a competitive advantage in the marketplace, which will allow you to outperform the competition.Thus, if you are OK with me being nice, I'll repeat myself and tell the newbie OP that I think your tool is fine to use and learn from.