I fully understand leveraging and the multitude of other factors that go into real estate investing and creating an ability to scale, but I also do not like the thought of emptying the back account to try and acquire a property.

You can use cash as a negotiating factor to get the price down along with coming up on your closing date. 

Don't forget to factor that in. 

I have worked with a few who have had a late payment or two on a student loan or something minor, but knowing they pay their bills on time is a huge factor for me.   

@Kyle DoneyDepends on several factors.  1. 

I'm really looking for something to do the first take on a property so I don't spend time digging into deals that are no good from the beginning due do the neighborhood profile or other factors. 

I'm eager to jump in and get started but I think it'll take forever between fixing my credit and working my full-time job.

We will not be there forever maybe 2 years at the most then move on to our next hack or maybe our forever home. 

The biggest factor is time.  

Then you should factor your security deposits and several other unknowns in you purchase price.