The forced appreciation is also another huge component.

I did not see the VA component.

Re "apply for the mortgage together": as a beginner, you are confusing terminology a bit here, so let's break it down into the various parts.People apply for a "loan secured by real estate", and refer to that as "applying for a mortgage", but that is not following the strictest definitions of the terms.A "loan secured by real estate" consists of two components: a promissory note, and a security instrument that pledges the real estate as collateral to secure the loan.

@Kevin DangIf you are starting out it is prudent to know the materials, components and what it take to get there. 

The key component you should be able to dig into is the LTV. 

Do that same calculation for all the components of the house. 

There's also a branding component to it so it may take some time to build an awareness. 

This can allow moisture to get into the uncured paint film allowing certain components to come to the surface when the moisture evaporates, causing surface staining and possible adhesion problems.I don't know how experience you are with rehabs, but 6 weeks are only doable if you stick to paint and carpet and don't do any rough in electrical, plumbing and drywall work.

Due to the various components at play and my lack of experience thus far, I am interested to see if anyone has advice on getting started in real estate at a young age in an expensive city.

@Elijah Frost compound interest is a basic component of an amortized mortgage.