Most on-market deals will likely not fit your investment criteria unless you allocate a substantial downpayment, often at least 30%-35%, or negotiate a price reduction that fits your requirements.Furthermore, while this is not the case for all metro ATL markets, my team and I typically see that a solid portion of the small multifamily space is comprised/orientated in neighborhoods of other small multifamily properties.

.✅ Do your research to learn what is realistic.Spend time really considering what type of business is going to be the best fit for you based on your experience and how you want to spend your time once you are the owner.

I buy to rehab and turn into rentals so Pinson, Pelham, Bessemer are a great fit for the areas and returns I'm looking for.

Going this route is more involved and that makes it more costly too.

It’s a great way to grow faster.HELOC or Equity Tapping: If you have equity in another property, using a HELOC or cash-out refinance could help cover the down payment without affecting your DTI as much.Seller Financing or Creative Deals: Look for sellers willing to finance directly, which bypasses traditional mortgage qualification hurdles.Scaling quickly often involves combining strategies—play around with what works best for your goals.

Understand the fees involved and calculate the total cost for an entire year of management so you can compare the different managers.

Plus, very important to understand the new layout and how the dig down will effect the existing stairs, plumbing, etc.Happy to connect and talk through your specific situation because @Bruce Woodruff mentioned every project is different and know one price fits all espeically with these complex jobs.Where at in Chicago is your building?

Now, you can get some wholesalers but they usually don't know if the property will fit the requirements and regulations but you can learn that from the Realtor. 

This involves working backward from the final aim to determine the steps.

There is no one size fits all answer for this question, market to market, and property to property are all different.