Any guidance or tips would be greatly appreciated!

We worked him through the process, brought him a contractor, and gave him all the resources along with giving him tips on layout and all.

You have received some great recommendations and if you are yet to decide on an Investor friendly to work with, you can send me a DM and see if we are a good fit.I do provide free mentorship and a lot of free resources and connections to anyone I work with especially beginners like you. 

Do you have any resources on this strategy that you would recommend?

I'd use an approved underlayment.Pro Tip: If it's cheap, it's not good.....at least spend in the moderate range.

Since we’re in the early stages, do you have any tips on building meaningful relationships with lenders or private investors for future projects?

By 2030, we want to have grown a portfolio of over 100 units, created a property management company that manages an additional 100-200 units, and, finally (and most importantly), we will have established a non-profit that is focused on quality, affordable housing that specializes in providing housing and resources at/on the "services cliff" alongside financial counseling and first-time home buyer education in our target area.Our target area is the Springfield, MA and Hartford, CT areas with dreams to expand to Central Massachusetts (Worcester, MA), Southern New Hampshire (Nashua, NH), and Southern Connecticut (New Haven, CT).Would love to meet up with likeminded individuals in our area!

Thanks for the tips this is great information.

@Shiloh Lundahl It is a complex strategy but if @Tyler Garza does his homework, finds local resources, and follows the laws, it is very attainable.

If they work independently, set their schedule, and use their resources, they might qualify as a 1099 contractor, but misclassification risks IRS penalties.Wages for W-2 employees and payments to 1099 contractors are both deductible business expenses, but compliance is key.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.