He has a good job but no savings built up. 

It is quite an undertaking, processes will be long and unforeseen costs could pop up.

I figure that everyone has a cellphone these days and if a guest drops by then they can simply call the tenant when they have arrived to be let in.

Start attending local meet ups.

But if you already own the home, if you have a skill set that compliments theirs or the downpayment money, their experience may be leveraged to finance the deal.And there is always the "friends and family" approach of trying to get one of your relatives to put up the money, either as a loan or equity, to get started.  

I focus on Columbus, Ohio, which has seen significant growth, especially with tech giants like Intel, Meta, Amazon, and Google setting up operations, driving up property prices and job opportunities.

Your $400 set up fee seems low for all you've listed. 

@Khayla Williamscan you save up until you have enough to house hack, and start with a house hack instead? 

If your budget can accommodate up to $700,000, you can afford to be in the Austin city limits in some solid areas.

Just about anyone can sign up for courses and become licensed and there will be plenty of real estate agents willing to drive buyers around and look at properties with the hope of earning a commission so good luck convincing a buyer to pay you hourly.