They have agreed to hold paper for us on unique properties they wouldn't normally, such as off the grid properties.Finding the right properties is the biggest challenge, once that's done getting them ready and rented is easy and the fun part for us!

After a couple months of searching I found a few deals through the MLS that were decent with the financial #s even if they fell more into the $30k PIGS that some of you talk about (I disagree to a certain extent on the $30k homes being PIGS if you know what your doing and become selective on the deals you get involved in) & made some offers....after some back and forth on things I eventually settled on a home that needed rehab.  

Details on each of the process steps.Appreciation - The number one location selection criteria is appreciation.

It's important to note that not everyone will have the same taste in decor, so having a vibrant/unique colour scheme could be a turn-off for a lot of people.Clean from top to bottom.Every room should be cleaned and bad odours removed as it could be something as small as this that turns viewers off the home.

We were going to manage this property ourselves and selected a military tenant.

My trip is essentially a vacation, but other than enjoying the unique touristy things each city has to offer, I really want to use the bulk of my time to explore markets and dip my toe in the water of investing, exploring different neighborhoods, looking at properties, talking to agents, investors, and whomever else can provide valuable insight on what I'd be venturing into when I'm eventually ready to buy.My intention with this post isn't really to turn this into a sort of journal with periodic updates, but mostly I was hoping that this post, and perhaps others in the future, could help me connect with some of you more experienced folks out there who may be willing to lend a helpful hand in anything at all real estate related. 

There you can select 'lenders'.

Careful in selecting those who have upfront fees!

That said, slums often describe an area or a neighborhood, not typically one unique property.

I think your ability to actually build homes within numbers that make sense is amazing and could allow you to form your own unique niche in your market that others don't have access/ability- if you can build cheaper than buying existing homes.