Finding a contractor that is high quality, reasonably priced, but also somehow available right when you need them to start - not 4 months later, so you sit paying holding costs on an empty, distressed property. 

For years my prop mgt s-corp has been paid to manage and do work on rentals I own personally or my larger apts I hold in LLCs.  

Double and triple check your purchase price with your renovation and holding costs and try to hit a single rather than a homerun to start.

I am mostly interested in buy-and-hold deals of SFH up to $150K.I would be happy to get to know agents working in the area and start building a local team.

I personally just bought buy hold and did not do much value add my first 7 years investing.https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/7810/90789-the-co...

She managed the real estate properties that my parents hold.

I think the license serves as a way to legitimize yourself and holds you to certain standards when working with sellers.

What makes you want to do fix and flips first and then buy and hold later?

Not sure how it would hold up if challenged, but it does let them know I'm serious about it.  

Plan to hold for 5-10 years.