Only an investment team can provide the crucial local knowledge you need.Moreover, you'll need various resources to find, validate, inspect, renovate, and manage a property.

A big part of that will be condos and multi-family apartments in place of the single family homes that WERE there.

Chris if one reads the thread were OP posted about 38 k reno on a apartment unit and others asked questions etc etc.. the OP got quite defensive and rude frankly..

Focus on understanding the rental market, conducting thorough property inspections, and leveraging owner-occupied financing options like FHA loans.

And, know this:  The #1 reason that Landlords fail is their failure to manage to the lease (source: American Apartment Owner's Assn).  

The #1 reason why landlords fail - according to the American Apartment Owners' Assn - is failure to manage to the lease. 

Or, as Greg noted, the co-GP who raises money to be a part of the deal.  

And there were hundreds of them about ¼ to ½ inches apart, so basically all the wood was perforated.

I want to invest it wisely so that a part of it is used for my living expenses and the remainder invested in RE producing cash flow and appreciating over time.

If you meet the bank's other requirements, then SBA will come in with 35-40% on top of the bank's 50% to lower the down payment to 10-15% (depending on property type).In our case, the previous owners had run the place as a part-time hobby, so the historical P&L's looked like crap.