Of course I'll continue reading books, forums, and BP posts, as well as listening to podcasts.I do have another question, would you recommend showing him an actual deal that I'm interested in (as a young investor looking for his advice) or first just seeing if he is interested in the idea of partnering?

Don't forget to factor in the HOA dues as part of your monthly operating costs because you'll be paying them as the owner.To answer your question, it is best to use percentages in my opinion.

In my newbie opinion, at least in the areas that I monitor, in order for a flipper to make good returns now, the MLS retail price of homes will need to continue to appreciate another 15-20% within the next 12 months.

I will continue to look and evaluate my options though!

A small time operator, DIY guy, with a W2, if you had it back on the market within 90 days I would say you would be doing pretty well. 

Also it would be good to have some extra savings for repair costs on your investment property such as a appliances breaking down, HVAC and such that would need to be fixed immediately to continue renting.

Some of those banks will also have retail operations, but generally you will get a better rate/fee combo through wholesale (the dozen loans per month mortgage broker gets volume discounts) than if you called that exact bank or lender directly (average consumer gets 1 mortgage every 3-7 years + marketing budget needs to be baked in).

I also am continuing to pick up rentals to build my long-term portfolio.

After college I might continue with the vacation home company I am currently at or try to get into accounting.

Demand for multifamily housing is forecast to remain high, as Millennial household formation continues and Boomers seek to downsize and re-enter the rental market.