I would definitely recommend start researching and learning your local market and house prices vs rent and different comps.

Find a local lender (probably a credit union as they love these) that offers 2nd mortgages - sometimes called Jr mortgages, HE-loans, or closed-end seconds.

To get a crash course in tenant screening and local tenant landlord laws I'd recommend going to a local REI meet up. 

Giving me the opportunity to better provide for my family and give back to my local community!

I have found my private investors by the following - personal friends, local meetups, real estate conferences.

We have a local STR organization that has filed suit against the STR quota implementation.   

Some of the types of products I am seeing labeled as build for rent include elements of the following or these developments are currently incorporating product labeled BFR: Suburban tract built home communities attached and detached townhome communitiesmaster planned communitiesmixed use communities cottage style home communities urban infill communitiespatio style home communitiesnew modernism and new urbanism neighborhoodsstick built small home communities horizontal apartment home communities with greater green space and more community programmingLet's catch up at some point to discuss further.

you would do the public good to file a complaint with the DRE in your state and send the fact pattern to Insurance commissioner filing a complaint against the tile company .. and send to the local DA and AG.. 

I'm looking into multifamily (duplex & self landlording) in my local area to get started, but my tri-state area (CT/NY/NJ) has a high entry price point that I'm concerned with over leveraging myself and losing liquidity on my first deal. 

I was at a local meet-up last evening and one of the folks recently purchased a list.