I am talking about some midwest areas...think rust belt..that make owners responsible for water bills.

Think of it as a "conveyer belt" method.

Would it be wise to maybe get my license after I have a few flips under my belt?

My advice would be to tweak your plan to get a couple investments under your belt while you still have that nice W2 income. 

Since you now have some completed projects under your belt.

I AM GLAD that this happened to me, because now I have experience under my belt and will know what to do for next time.

Unless you have a long track record of successful flips under your belt, 0% down will only be available through private lenders, more than likely family and friends.

At this size they will have a dedicated PM, and should have a few years of operation under their belts to establish proper procedures.A quick way to get into trouble is to rely on some part time newbie sales agent to "get you a tenant".

They have made a big equity jump and now want to outpace index funds and paltry returns in savings and CD's in the banks.Most of my clients tend  to want to invest in warm belt states in areas with good growth and higher median incomes.

I am looking for some mentorship and someone to help me get my first deal or two under my belt.