Your daily expenses, your shopping habits, ... etc.2.

My concern is that all the properties we saw walking around were either a) freshly rehabbed and look like they would be priced at a premium, as well as being SFH, OR b) literally, completely falling apart (windows busted, roofs half off, walls open to the outside) and would require a gut or even more hardcore rehab and rebuild to make habitable.

Now, finding the right team to work with can be even more vital than choosing the market. 

For a beginner, investing in the range of SFH to fourplexes, what team members would you say are vital to your team and how did you find those people for your own team?

I'm currently reading The Book on Rental Property Investing; I've also watched a few podcasts and attended webinars, but I have a bad habit of getting analysis paralysis when learning something new.

Doesn't have bad habits. i pull credit reports because i am looking for these traits.

This is a common practice for construction loans so it's good to get into the habit of laying out a budget.

-How close is the garage to the street (or other things) that might make a BR less habitable?

I don't think you need to have a lot of money to invest but you have to have smart money habits - investing in retirement & tax advantaged accounts, budgeting, etc. 

I have a bit, ok a lot, of hesitancy with telling either set of parents because, primarily of their poor financial habits and the potential of getting into arguments/being expected to pay for everything now we have resources...It's a pickle because of both sets of parents' lack of transparency about their matters and poor financial habits..