Quote from @Jacorion Williams: As hard as it may be to find and fund an investment property, managing it is far worse.

Sometimes the internet can make us feel like all we have to do is buy a house or two and quit our job.

I kept thinking it would get easier and less nervy as I bought more houses.

Be mindful of a gift tax implications if you sell a house for less than FMV.Also be mindful of transactions between related parties when selling at a loss.

I have done quite a few different things, one of the best to find out who is doing the most volume is go onto good and search for the "we buy houses companies" in the area you are looking to invest.

Congratulations on your first investment, excited to hear more about your success. 

Lenders want to protect their investment not because of possibly you but your profile (little equity / assets etc) which is common for someone in their early 20's - want to make sure skin in game.

When my youngest went to school, I changed my license status to Active, and have learned and enjoyed helping people buy/sell/invest for around 7 years now.Everyone's journey is different....you might one day no longer be a firefighter...you might move to another state....you might want to buy a house one day and having a real estate license could save you some money. 

I remember the story of the Zillow CEO when he sold his house in Seattle for about 40% less than the Zestimate. 

Im 34 years old and have my mind set on real estate investing.