Lots and lots of work and sweat.  

But to ask me to be CHEAP, is calling me cheap, calling my work cheap, calling my years upon years of blood sweat and tears to gain the skills to do what I do UNVALUED, wasted. 

I am a sweat equity guy so I can do a lot of work myself.

So I want to use my knowledge to get sweat equity was my plan

If your ballpark figures don't get you into a range that will work financially, there is no need to sweat over figuring it down to the penny.

Do your magic touches to it and add sweat equity.  

I decided to pass. after crazy amounts of sweat equity/lead paint/crazy heating & cooling/trees/potential roots in sewer lines/dry rot or termites/foundation issues/etcstill left with lumpy house with crazy heating & cooling worth about what i put into it.

Austin or DFW are the common favorites, but any of the Four Metros will work fine if you don't want to sweat going out into the smaller towns. 

Buy a property that has the potential to add value, use your free time to input sweat equity then use that equity later for a line of credit on the next property.  

Sweat equity.4.