Having even a slightly more narrowed budget and strategy will enable an agent to better advise you early on VS having too many vague conversations on how best to get started.  

I said ok lets see , and I started with the exterior walls , they are 2x4's , code is 2x6 's , so insulation isnt up to code either , front door , too narrow , electrical outlets in each room , not enough of them , windows , too low , garage wall not fire rated drywall .

@Kevin OBrien in the sense of narrowing down areas, yes, but didn’t find anything I liked.

From there we narrow down who we feel will take care of our place the best and who applied 1st.

I've definitely been on the wrong side of the deal, I've gotten a fee but the greater profits come from coordinating the whole deal.im an experienced architect so due diligence, navigating permits, contractors and construction I can handle but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to the best way to finance. id be looking at finding a good deal in a sagging market, completing a facelift renovation on all units then occupying one unit. i have an investor that will partner up in the venture with a legal background and we've narrowed down area, lot size, price point etc. my long winded way of asking a simple question is where do I start with obtaining a loan for financing?

Post meeting Update:Owner 's explanation was that he pays a large portion of his insurance up front since he has multiple properties and gets a bit of a discount 5-Recurring charges monthly for paint, HVAC, and building material and suppliesPost meeting Update:Owner addressed it as routine system and property maintenance, That being said it appears to be band-aids not  issues that continue to exist6-Owner pays water, and gas.Also there appear to be a charge for meter reading monthly ( my view is that I would try and get the tenant to pay this stuff on their own or ensure i have a bill back process.)Post meeting Update:Owner Confirmed that he does pay the water and gas bill Monthly and does not charge the tenant for these items7-Owner appears to also absorbing tenants credit check fee8-Unallocated Prepay is being counted as income ( not sure what the owner is referring to)Post meeting Update:Owner was unable to clearly explain this issue had to call his property  manger.

Compare features and try to narrow it down to your top 2-3 options.

I understand you have to narrow your efforts to one acquisition and disposition method so you can build upon it and grow the business to fully capable so that any deal can be made.

There is an excellent book here on BP about Long Distance Real Estate Investing, as well as quite a few podcasts if you scan the titles of them to narrow it down.

Once you have that info you can narrow down pretty quickly in excel how many SFH or multifamily you will need to meet your goal.