Did you attend educational courses to enhance your real estate knowledge?

Getting one property and cashflowing it will be a challenge. you can try seller financing but you are still going to be highly levered which just enhances the risk that you are taking on.The best way to grow is to focus on managing your rental, saving money through your W2 and crushing that - if you are a realtor you will make more crushing it as being a realtor than over leveraging real estate - then save for down payment and buy slowly. its not a rush.

I'm quickly learning that getting a mortgage isn't a simple task.

Assuming:40 hours: W2 job56 hours: Sleep21 hours: Basic daily tasks= 51 hours potential REI time💡 Pro Tip: It's not about finding time; it's about allocating the time you have strategically.🎯 Your 6-Month Timeline:Month 1: Foundation (5-7 hours/week)Morning routine: 1 hour daily market researchEvening routine: Deal analysis practiceWeekend: BP forums & networkingKey Goal: Analyze 10 deals on paperMonth 2: Education (8-10 hours/week)Complete 1 RE courseJoin 2 local REI groupsSchedule lunch breaks with agentsKey Goal: Build your initial power team listMonth 3: Systems (10-12 hours/week)Set up deal tracking systemCreate document templatesEstablish banking relationshipsKey Goal: Ready to make offersMonth 4: Lead Generation (12-15 hours/week)Drive neighborhoods after workWeekend open housesSetup automated MLS alertsKey Goal: Generate first 5 qualified leadsNow, the Owners and Brokers you deal with may not enjoy this, but you can certainly "practice" making offers.  

Once again, I had to ask my family for financial support—a daunting task after the first loss.

You'd have to stick to tasks like messaging guests, scheduling cleaners, etc.

This used to be a near-impossible task for a company like BiggerPockets, but technology and 3rd party solutions are getting better.

Activities like tenant management, marketing, bookkeeping, inspections, overseeing contractors, and compliance tasks all count.Avoid outsourcing tasks, as this reduces eligible hours, and consider adding properties if meeting the threshold is challenging.

Allowing the team to assist in some of my "Busy" work, so I can handle more productive tasks. 3.)

Hey @Erika Andersen I totally hear you in wanting to save some money and taking on the task yourself.