@Jared Baker I used Watertsone Mortgage in Pewaukee for my FHA loan for my primary residence. 

Gotta +1 @Ron J. on the reference to airDNA, since that seems to be where a lot of market data resides (screen shot below for New Bern).

I'll be buying the house in my name (no LLC) and I'll be using a HELOC from my primary residence. 

Sounds like me again for my primary residence.

As far as capital to get started, after you've exhausted the VA loan, the typical and common answer for a primary residence is a 20% down payment with a credit score and cash reserves good enough to qualify for a mortgage.

I have been there in my personal residence and it added a little more pain to the process.

I’d like to start with buying/managing our own residence and branch out investing in others from there but my fear is that we’ll be tying up all of our capital and won’t be able to start investing in other properties for a while.

My first step goal is to get out of my current residence, buy a duplex to house hack, while turning this residence into a rental property (if it makes sense). 

Additionally, as a HI resident you qualify for loans which us mainlanders don’t.. and they’re very good loans.

Since Ive been looking at loans, it appears that if I was to buy say a single unit for the purpose as an investment to rent out, I would need 20% down... but if I was buying the unit as my primary residence You can qualify for a MUCH lower down payment depending on your income.