In parallel, I am hoping to purchase a couple turnkey rental properties over the next 12 months to get my feet wet with OOS investing.

Plank vinyl in wet areas such as bath and kitchen laminate for the rest of the home.

For your first investment this should allow you to get your feet wet with out hardly any risk and get huge returns.

I assume since the water company looked at it already they pumped out excess water from rain where the meter is and looked to see if it was leaking.If it isn't then take the area that is most wet and start digging to find the source.You might get lucky and only have to replace a section of pipe.If that's the case with a plumber a few hundred dollars although on weekends they charge more and for emergencies.

welcome aboard @Carrie S.Getting started as an assistant to a successful agent or investor is a great way to get your feet wet.

Typically paint, flooring, cosmetic fixes are a great way to get your feet wet and then you can challenge yourself with bigger projects (adding walls, replacing windows, renovating bathrooms/kitchens, replacing a roof, etc.).

Don't chase the numbers, stick with a conservative investment while getting your feet wet.

Been around BP for a couple of years, but I'm finally ready to get my feet wet with real estate investing. 

I'm looking for my first deal and was thinking of buying a turn-key rental to get my feet wet.

There are a bunch of tricks, really, to speed up and simplify decorative installations, things that you can't use on floors and wet walls.