I'm very apprehensive on using someone who doesn't come highly recommended.

Section 8 standards in our area are high (depending on the inspector). 

Just a warning, heloc rates are high right now, mine is at 10% but you could find a better deal for a short period realistically. 

However - my job is very high paying so I will look to build savings and start making my first purchases.  

So those fields will get impacted.  

Borrowing other people's money sounds great but the market prices are high and hard to make profit if you borrow the down payment and borrow for the remainder of the mortgage loan. 

It'll take a few years but I think this area is going to show steep appreciation over the next 5 years and you can get a decent place that'll cash flow a little right now, more if rates drop and you refi and best of all, high appreciation over the next 5-10 years. 

Check in with my lender of 20+ years @Joseph Chiofalo he’s helped my buyers coordinate cash out transactions and low ltv down payments on acquisitions recently.

Informative read about the high amount of ADU's being built in Los Angeles, the impacts they're having on the neighborhoods, and what local government is doing to preserve the "look and feel" of neighborhoods with the change in housing.

This allows us to stabilize, then grow without worrying about a high debt payment in the beginning.