You just have to pull the trigger to get started.

I'm obviously not going to pull the trigger and throw away tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars on something I am not confident in. 

But if this one really hits your numbers, I would probably go ahead and pull the trigger.

Still looking for a market area, so I likely won’t pull the trigger on anything for several months.

It's all up to you and how comfortable you are pulling equity out.I really don't think theres a time that's "to soon" to start buying, again its up to your conformability, if you're ready to pull the trigger then start looking at some properties and pull the trigger. 

Once you feel comfortable in the connections, networks, and resources you have, you just have to pull the trigger.

Make sure that you understand the cashflow analysis before pulling the trigger, then jump in.Good luck!

You also want to think about the property tax implications depending on how low the property tax basis may be as this transaction could trigger a reassessment for the portion you receive from your grandparents (if the property is in CA). 

I was able to pull the trigger by performing due diligence on the neighborhoods, third-party inspections, and having a property manager in the area that I can trust.

I never pulled the trigger.