Your best bet is to have cash saved up and find a small bank that is willing to take a chance on you starting out.

I'm sure the good deals get scooped up quickly- what is my best bet to find one?

Don't mean to offend but is it possible you got lucky with a paying tenant for a poorly located/conditioned unit?

Here is an interesting read:Billion Dollar Fund Manager Comes Out of Retirement To Bet Against Canadian Real Estatehttps://betterdwelling.com/city/toronto/marc-cohod...

Poor and dishonest management.

An area of need I see is people with poor credit finding housing.

I mean I know what it is... but never heard that term before but I that's not unusual for someone of my computer literacy and online interactions.however if you have had a bad experience with a turn key company you should post it.There was a lady who bought one in Birmingham through a turn key company and it was a long thread on what poor service she got.. but I can't e mail and say hey you should put that on turnkey reviews.. can't force folks to do it..

It looks like OPM (other people's money) will be your best bet.

Best bet in any market where you are looking to invest is to find an investor friendly real estate agent that operates in that area that can be your eyes, ears, and boots on the ground for you.

To avoid a large DP with traditional financing, would hard money be my best bet to get started?