Getting your foot in the door is tough, but as I am sure many investors will tell you - the first one always takes the longest to get under your belt, but after that it gets much easier!

We tried to sell a home in BTC right around that time, even made the news :) Did not materialize, to bad we did not get those bitcoins then for the home ..... 

NJ is a tough state to evict.

Yes, the market here right now has been really tough, and trying to sell your properties to other investors with section 8 tenants will likely be fairly problematic at this current time.

Just wondering if there are good internet guides out there to help new investors understand steps in renovations and lay out scopes of work and materials needed so we don't miss anything?  

Lending is tough, you need to know the market you're lending in, usually you want to have an understanding of credit-risk and be able to pull credit and run background to get a better read on your borrower.

I’m a mother, a wife, and I work in healthcare, so balancing everything is tough, but real estate is my passion, and I’m chasing my dreams.

Half of sponsors are now getting crushed when the going is getting tough, and those previous track records don't really mean much, compared to the things I list above.  

Good inventory but man does that office make it tough to finish rehabs in a timely manner

If it looks like a tough go, you can walk away or renegotiate price.