So to answer your question on getting started - I would pick a market and start thinking about what kind of property you can buy today, with your capital.

I think you’ll be stuck covering the costs until lease end, unless you can work out some kind of deal. ($50 off rent, but you pay water usage that has averaged $40 the past 6 months).

Make it kind of ugly and scary and at the far end of what you think could happen if you had some really bad luck. 3) I think your personal income should come into the equation to a certain extent.

Do you think the seller cares about what kind of financing you are getting?

I've visited and enjoyed the Sarasota/Bradenton area and that is relatively close to Tampa, but also has a mid-sized airport locally (Elite Airways flies direct from PWM to Sarasota, as far as I know). 

It seems like that is a more common way to do these kinds of deals, but is it the best way?

Is this some kind of new 11th dimensional flipping strategy?

You want a larger office, with LOTS of agents and sales--more likely to have a good, well-managed training system in place.Next, find out what parts of your town have the highest turnover--look for the volume first, the higher priced properties will come along after you get some listings and sales under your belt.Find your comfort zone, area and price and typical kind of folks that live there. 

Some paper math works out to those kinds of numbers on the cheapest stuff, but then you need to be REALLY wary, definitely of Killeen and probably Temple, too.

Usually it's some kind of Lowe's gift card or similar, stuck somewhere in my closing package, or maybe a restaurant gift card.