Imagine I wake up one day and want to start flipping.

I totally understand why the banks need what they want, but I can't imagine that newly self employed investors are completely out of the game for 1-2 years?  

The first friend has had over 20 years experience doing flooring, cabinetry and just about everything else you can imagine.

I imagine looking on the recorders website is a good start.

Can vouch for Andrew Schultz at Own Buffalo - he's managed my properties for 3-4 years now and in that short period of time I've run into just about every issue you can imagine; problems with toilet, trees falling in storm, trees falling a separate time and crushing a newly stained fence, roof leak, basement flooded, and a list of needy tenant issues - bottom line is Andrew Schultz probably saved my marriage.

@Jameson Sullivan,If you are qualified in first two respects I can't imagine that you couldn't get a loan as long as the loan amount isn't outrageous and you had the 3.5% down payment...which can also be gifted by family members.What is the expected purchase price of 4 flat and corresponding rents? 

Which sounds good in theory, but if something were to go wrong, I'd have to imagine you're putting yourself at a lot of risk.

Clear all the debris, take tree out close to house and build a wood deck over pouring concrete. 

I cant imagine they are very successful or get many deals with that type of customer service. 

Imagine it a bit shorter for your single story facade:https://i.pinimg.com/236x/51/1d/39/511d390350f72596ebc9bb57589a7e5e--traditional-exterior-timber-frames.jpg A nice box bay under a gable, with a standing seam shed roof:https://i.pinimg.com/236x/fc/94/c6/fc94c631e2df20dbb1fa117fea512c41--traditional-exterior-ranch-homes.jpg Example of a small, very shallow box bay with a shed roof (yours would be wider and taller), easy and inexpensive to build:https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?