The current owner is letting me take over the property as a tenant as long as I pay the water bill and the mortgage payment on it and whenever I decide I can purchase property for the balance of the mortgage  they are in no hurry for me to purchase the home as long as the mortgage is paid. 

YES, you can get the work done for less than this on occasion, in particular if you are doing some or all of the labor yourself, not pulling permits, or purchasing stolen materials as a starting point. 

I never looked back and I love my life.  

Some banks can spread your funds around to multiple banks if you carry a balance over $250k and want to have all the necessary FDIC insurance…merry Christmas!

A little about me: I’m in Memphis, TN, and work with REI Nation.

Have to laugh at the guy who said cold calling and cold texting don't work.

Owner/Occupants want function and style.Investors perhaps more numbers focused...probably want numbers to work day 1.Owner/Occupants....they'll stretch to make the numbers work....what can we cut to make our dream home work for us.Personally I don't think either thinks about exit strategies too much or maybe even not enough.I would say Owner/Occupants way way more focused on cosmetics and less about maintenance. 

That's some people's niche and it works for them.

Don't make your life more complicated than it has to be.

I would suggest finishing school, working as a part time agent while you are at school, saving commissions for investing, and working with a team that focuses on investing as opposed to residential sales.There are also local meet ups every month.