Your time is best spent producing the revenue that allows you to invest in the first place.That includes using local agents you meet and feel are a good fit for you, property managers, possibly buying completed properties like the one you posted here, and outsourcing as much of the process as you can as you get started. 

@Jay FayzIt's possible to use an FHA loan with a 5% down payment, but keep in mind that the loan is intended for primary residences, and you'll need to live in the property for at least a year.

Instead of discussing the possibility of owner finance with sellers - what if I offered the opportunity to  JV where they are the equity partner?   

What started off as primarily a second home with the possibility of short term leasing quickly flipped to a STR first and a second home when not rented because demand is so strong right now for STR's in this area. 

In some cases, it may not be possible to purchase and store materials, but if it is, that is one way to protect your budget and avoid a costly mistake.The last thing I would offer for you to think about is having a pivot plan. 

The squatter possibly has warrants on him and will be difficult to locate. 

Just take what you get for free, which is an Airbnb listing, and just put the best most spectacular pictures you possibly can on there and after you’ve done that, go back and look at your listing and try to think of ways to make those pictures even betterI think that’s pretty much the formula to success in this industry.

The goal of hard money is to get out of it as quickly as possible. 

Next year he's planning on buying a house so we can officially live together, but I'm gonna grind this year and stack as much as possible without permanent housing. 

. 🤔 After having the plumber come back a couple of times to try to remediate, we brought in a different plumber that provided 2 other possible remediation things we could try.