just make sure you tell your banker everything so he can properly guide you.most deals I'm seeing done with financing are short-sales (as of 1 year)... this really depends on your area though.

Without proper reserves to handle a big-ticket item, an investor is asking for Murphy's Law to kick in.

I see great potential in rehabbing as well as buying and holding in my area but i do not want to rush into anything without properly acquiring proper knowledge.

There are various ways to reimburse someone for helping you out, but you've gotta make sure you're not treading into territory where you're acting as licensed brokers or salespeople, whose actions are governed by state and federal laws - hence, the reason you can't act like one without being properly licensed.

Doing it yourself properly is a huge hassle and you could easily miss something.I've learned to use professionals and spend my time finding buyers/sellers/investors/properties.

Don't let the parent corp situation blow your mind, still go to the company in name if they are open, they will either direct you properly to the right department or simply take care of themselves.

Unless ALL of these things are done, they haven't properly vacated the premises.

I'm scared that if I don't properly document the living arrangement with this 'stranger' I might run into problems.

I've read about analysis paralysis and feel eager to get started with investing, but also want to put in the proper amount of time upfront to learning all of the basics and building a solid foundation of knowledge.

Secondly, would it be smarter to start with one property and expand from there, or could I do for example three properties at first?