I could also get a better deal with an initial cash offer.

If someone on here could give me insight on where to focus energies in the initial stages of growing your presence, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Alex, we were initially given the opportunity to get a line of credit on the 2 houses we own at a higher interest rate, but that too was denied to us. 

You should include it even if you are planning on initially self-managing.

Initially, we wanted to keep as a rental, but we may choose to flip if we get the right price.

I want hold shorter term initially.

If you can swing it, I feel Blackstone BREIT is a better initial/core holding because it is a much more conservative core plus strategy (or maybe stREITwise if no).

This topic is worthy of a book, but I'll limit my best advice to three points:Get Yourself a great Chief-of-Staff Before You Consider Adding More Staff - Yes, you can probably hire VA's to perform nearly every task you now do, but resist the initial urge to bring on a gaggle of specialists.

I would go in for your water/sewer first without initiating the discretionary processing.

No offense, but you MANAGE foreclosure portfolios in BK, I specialize  distressed property ACQUISITIONS prior to the foreclosure and if we go back to the initial question asked by @Isaac Black , he was asking if he could approach someone who is currently in BK, and my answer still remains.