You have to determine what your goal is and a strategy and then stick with it. 

But before you do that, I would 1) determine your real estate investment goals and 2) determine how you will be able to fund your deals. 

Depending on your answers to these, that will determine the strategy you pick.

Congratulations on the execution and never giving up it also goes to show that people may say no now and yes later but in the end the unwavering determination and persistence made it all worthwhile.

It is great to see your drive and determination to get started in the investing world.

You can use the BP calculators to help you account for the items above and make a determination if your home is going to function well as a rental property.

I like your enthusiasm but I think you should stay on this site for awhile, read many of the topics and narrow down so you can determine which strategy you want.

I would recommend using a performance metric such as ROI to determine what the best course of action is for you.

When evaluating finishings or additions to a property you are looking to rent what are some ways you determine what is going to provide the best return and what is just going to eat into your investment?

Your broker determines the best fit for you.Retail lenders do most everything in-house, from origination (your loan officer) to underwriting, to funding, and even servicing.