I am also skilled in painting, woodworking, restoring, installing fixtures, ect, so I'd be doing a lot of sweat equity myself.

I get where are you coming from, 10 years ago I bought a course :how to invest in real estate , but raising my teenager daugthers by myself and having a 80 hours week job didn't work for me, but I ALWAYS fantazise with the idea, well my daugthers now are professionals and doing their own lives .

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

After recently speaking to loan professionals I have become aware of the fact that after you have a couple of properties lenders will require that you have 3-6 months of reserves for your loan payments for each properties on hand. 

I spoke with a broker today and they said when I put an offer in, I still need to have a "pre-approval" letter from a lender to the seller.

My question is, in this circumstance, would I qualify for, one, FHA loan (the first mortgage is conventional); two, when I apply for pre-approval, can I not say it's my first home even if I qualify for an FHA (assuming I do).

What we do have are data points i.e. pre-foreclosures, foreclosures, vacant properties, divorce, probate, absentee owners, etc. that COULD be an indicator for a motivated seller. 

Then just a general welcome letter introducing yourself and a little bit of your professional history. 

Not sure if interesting but my buddy just launched a real-time leads list for off market properties based on publicly accessible data: tax delinquencies, probate, pre-foreclosures...etc.

.- Rental Demand: Columbus is a growing city with a steady flow of professionals and students, ensuring a strong and consistent demand for rental properties.- Economic Growth: The city's economy is diverse and steadily growing, providing a stable environment for your investment to thrive.- Investor-Friendly Climate: Columbus has relatively manageable regulations and property taxes, making it attractive for real estate investors.While investing out of state does come with its challenges, such as property management from afar, partnering with a local property management company can help ease these concerns.