But you need to understand the process, and that takes some education.You don't have to be an expert in everything, but you do need to know the basics to get started.I found that along the way (which so far is a very short path for me), I found there were things that were preventing me from making progress. 

Then take your break on the private patio with a cup of coffee and some smooth jazz.

But I do not want to pick up an other job, I want to be an investor and leverage other people's skills so I can continue to work and bring in money.

That means focusing on sourcing internships/coffee chats/meetings in and with the professionals involved in investment sales, financing, acquisitions, or asset management.

When you compare properties you just need to figure out how much mortgage is out of your pocket every month.. and if that property is in a better neighborhood that would be an added bonusI know investors who house hacked to move into a better area, bigger and nicer home and the total mortgage they are paying didn't change much but their building and area class improved significantly. 

Seller agreed to meet me for coffee to see if we could make a deal happen.

It could have been kept alive with cash or perhaps private money if someone was okay with cash flow and no appraisal.Sounds like you have a good property and just need to see it, get aligned with someone you trust that can run true comps, take a look at the main house if you can, and see if the 203k is going to be an option with that particular property.Hope that helps.

@James WiseI feel like going under contract and taking him out to a really nice dinner with a couple hundred of his own earnest money would be an amazing setting for a, "Now what did we learn?"

So if your comfortable investing close to home but not locally that could be an option for you.Be Unstoppable

if you are from COS, check out the real estate meet up on Tuesdays at third space coffee.