So to do this to scale where you're a lender with 4 - 6 of these loans going at once you'd need 750k - 1 million and you'd still find yourself out of capital for stretches. 

Best of luck to you, I hope you find success in whatever strategy you go with! 

My challenge is in finding a cap rate for Arkansas (Fort Smith) multifamily properties.

I think they would find out one way or the other.

People can find a very profitable niche that is of no interest to others.  

Ideally, you could find something liquid (money market) or fixed for a duration until you need it (CD, etc) with a rate approximating inflation but rates (even with talk of some incremental raises coming) still won't yield much.I think you have a good point about return.

There is tons of information right here for free to help you find a market for your where the numbers work.

Now, I find that I am REBILLED from John Jackson, without the course materials!!

I'm worried if I buy a property this will make it hard to leave the job, even if I find good tenants to rent the rooms out to.

I have a major project home. So far we never had much issues to get contractors, but in this one out send everyone is turning away from it. They can't seem to be able to see past the other work that needs to get done....