I am a seasoned investor looking to grow a solid team.

I can only see my previous 15 but did notice when I deleted one of those 15, an older one showed up.  

So I am just about to buy my first property. Let's go back a second and say that I am prepared to buy but haven't found Mrs. right yet. I have looked at a few duplexes and got a chance to hang out with a client of min...

I would recommend attending the local real estate investment meetings to network with the seasoned investors you want to work with.

I have not seen the homes in person, but the one with the picture is an older 1970's home in great curb appeal (on exterior).

Hi Elias,You would need to run an analysis of your market to determine what is possible.For example if all you can buy is sellers wanting a 5 cap in your market with older buildings that those are tough deals to make work.Instead if the pent up renter demand is there and you have a city or county that is pro-growth with planning and zoning than chances are good a new build might work.

I also ask the age of the animal, as older animals are less destructive just because of their nature. 

Additionally, they will not allow you to refinance based on the appraisal without the appropriate seasoning. 

lack of credit, little or no equity, lack of seasoning would make for a difficult if not heavily discounted to sell 

This might be a solution to your self employment / bank not wanting to loan problem.That said hard money loans are short term so if you are wanting to do a rental you will want to explore a good exit strategy such as refinancing with a traditional lender once you have seasoning.