Once you find the strategy, pinpoint a Crystal Clear Criteria for the properties you are looking to purchase and it will narrow down what you look at. 

Then narrow and focus your learning + networking there so you know precisely what level of capital you’re saving for.  

The narrower your focus, the better.If you lend to out-of-state strangers, require two appraisals (I really know HMLs who do), credit reports, bank statements, W-2s, income taxes, 2 weeks to fund if you’re lucky, and then hope to obtain 8% on a 75% LTV, then you are almost indistinguishable from most conventional lending criteria.

That will narrow your search for syndicators. 

If it takes A, B AND C to find motivated sellers PERIOD, and you only have D, E and F, do not ask how to get motivated sellers from D, E and F.

If you do go for cashflow, just make sure you understand the risks that come with Class B and C properties. 5) BONUS - @William Spekhardt while not wrong with his note about HELOC's and rates, was not 100% correct.

I worked with one who had rentals of their own and was a licensed broker, so together we narrowed down the listings and he knew what he could get for rent.

Once you narrow down the cities that you’re looking at in these particular states, let me know.

I was showing a spot to someone a couple of months ago and they had a similar idea as you do Stanley and they pointed out the 2 foot wide window in the basement and I had to tell them that an appraiser/inspector will not consider that narrow window a form of egress.

The regulation was possibly written before AirBnB was a thing and they used VRBO generically just like someone uses Kleenex or Band-Aid generically.