Regarding mentors, don't expect them to work with you for nothing, their time is valuable and their pain and sweat has gotten them where they are now, an instructor once told me, "there is no such thing as a free lunch" so expect to trade something with them, time, money, grunt work, something.

@Jason Pachomski No sweat.  

If she is dead set agianst that, you could try and find a house that needs a bit of fixing up that you could do over the years get some sweat equity out of it when your ready to move out and have a good rental or a decent chunk of profit when you sell it.

New floors, new s.s. appliances, updated fixtures, and a lot of sweat equity.

Do you sit in your sweats and lament on your misery or do you take what the market is giving you and build until the appropriate opportunity arrives?

This is an issue for non-profits providing housing to marginal buyers, it's why Habitat For Humanity requires sweat equity to be earned, why others do lease periods with savings required over a "testing" period.

Simple in concept, but can be complex in determining fairness regarding sweat/dollar equity vs risk.

Up until now I have mostly bought distressed properties that I can put a lot of sweat equity into and BRRRR.

Dont sweat the small cosmetic issues.

If you end up not digging working with sellers, don't sweat it.