I'm in a similar situation where all utilities are paid by the landlord.

Based off our situation and the current market we believe San Antonio is the best location for our success.  

Though I am a big DIYer for the first rehab all of the mayor things we will likely vend out to keep stress and lack of experience from stopping us from ever getting started.

This has been a lot more stressful than I originally anticipated.

But this is all just my opinion and I don't know all the workings going on in the market or in your specific situation.

There’s not a whole lot of background information in your post (financial situation?

That $1000 savings now is going to cost you a LOT of stress and, ultimately, money in the future.

Hard money is best for people in specific situations.1)Bad credit2)No source of W-2 income3)Little to no money to put a 20%-25% down payment on an investment propertyIf any of these are true, then HML may be the best way to go.

Saving on monthly management fees, overpriced maintenance, and the stress caused by trying to understand if your property manager is actually working for you, or the guy next door.  

Anyway, my life situation took me from it.