Once you always have a few bullets in the chamber - figure a deal may require 25k - 40k in liquidity during its lifecycle - so once you have a few bullets in the chamber then you can start looking for those 2 - 4 buildings that cashflow well. 

A cookie cutter first deal looks like:Purchase: 65k - 90kRehab: 50k - 75kARV = Project Cost/.7Neighborhood: B or betterRehab type: cosmeticAvg Days on Market in zip code: 30 or lessThat's an example of a very safe deal for a lender to fund for a newbie.For a 0 experience expect to pay 11.5%+ in interest.Keep in mind the cost of a project's lifecycle. 

And it's worked for generations and the wealthy for a very long time because mutual insurance companies understand the human lifecycle quite well (law of large numbers), they're well regulated, make safe and sound investments and in several cases have paid out dividends consecutively for over 150 years (Mass Mutual, Lafayette Life, etc).

Even in the smaller markets, a life cycle of a deal can stretch out 6 months before the exit and that can cost 30k once all is said and done.I like to tell people 50k is a nice starting point capital wise. 

Deals in my area would cost 75k - 100k easy through the life cycle. 

A mechanics lien also has a very short life cycle in most instances as many are filed but never make it to finish line.Title insurance is the best way to avoid title theft which you may hear about on the news but it is not this rampant thing going around.

Could someone either give me an estimate of average lifecycle for common components of a house within Florida, or recommend any local contractors that could give me an affordable inspection report?

Projects have life cycles. 

In the higher end markets deal life cycles would cost 100k+. 

Despite the appeal of leveraging debt for wealth expansion, the security and certainty of a fully paid home offer compelling advantages for many.Pro tip:I look at the metric ROE, Return on Equity over ROI, Return on Investment.ROI = (Net Operating Income/ Total Investment Cost​) × 100ROE = (Net Operating Income/ Equity​) × 100For me, what is best for you is dependent on what stage of your investment lifecycle you're in coupled with your risk tolerance and personal financial goals.With Discipline,Josh