We are so new to this and have no experience.

Adding value can be as simple as answering a forum with your knowledge and experience!

I understand you have a lot more experience than me (and experience is often the best teacher) but I still think I have done some things right with this property and I think it works out long term.

Does anyone have experience doing this, and know how to go about it?

I'd love to connect with local investors to hear about their experiences purchasing their first properties and the lessons they learned. 

(Disclaimer: I am not a lender but speaking from general experience)An important lesson that I've learned from working with investor clients is that analyzing as many deals as possible is a fantastic way to get your muscle memory acquainted with various opportunities.

Also, Pool amenites such as pool basketball, Four square, Giant Jenga etc. help guests imagine themselves having a Florida experience with their own pool on vacation.In short, in a saturated market find a way to make your home exceptional, and you can generate decent income while still enjoying the home with your family.

and i know that that there’s risk involved, so ill always be prepared for things not going according to plan. and i think starting small and gaining knowledge and experience over time is key. 

You save money, you get experience, and then you buy your own in a year.

There are many HMLs that will finance new construction, but much of it is based on your experience, credit score, and the expected sale price.