The law of attraction-- you know you have something great/wonderful -  yes you need funding but you have something just as great and necessary- a killer investment along w/ your skills/talents.  

Hey Kweli,My best piece of advice is for you to follow a path in real estate that suits your talents/qualities:Wholesaling - Sales & MarketingAgent - Incredible people skills / networkingFix and flipper - Great eye for design, construction, budgeting Buy and Hold - Patient, budgeting, you currently enjoy what you do for a livingETC.Overtime many then venture into different categories (I know I have)  but I would suggest you start with the one that suits you most.

On your first one don't get to into a fixer upper unless you've got twice the time and twice the money needed and talented free labour.  

IMO not only should you have an attorney in each state but consider one  in each county/state/jurisdiction that you have property  inAs residential real estate is local  having local legal talent can be of great value.

This insight is key to maximizing your strengths and natural talents

(Something you guys talked about - knowing your talents.)

The talents made a couple late payments last year, which, I think, is acceptable.  

Good luck whichever way you go.As an alternative, you could check to see if either of the tenants have the skills and talent to fix up the units and you could then set the rents to market, but give them a credit for the increase to fix up the properties over some period of time.

I put the entire design & development teams together, get all city approvals and then manage construction of high-rise residential buildings, hotels - and recently even industrial - ground up projects.On the side (much more than a hobby at this point) I am investing with my super talented partner and brother from a different mother @avihay ohana (also a BP pro member) in the Charlotte, NC area.     

I have been doing a small development utilizing the GIG available talent to lower costs whenever possible.