If you eventually do the deal document the good, the bad and the ugly so you have a full story.

Eventually I hope to acquire enough rental units to live off of.Thanks to everyone taking the time to read this, and to the creator of biggerpockets for providing invaluable resources.

The best approach is to hire a full time onsite management team capable of performing all the duties of management, home sales, managing maintenance and repairs, and the implementation of software systems and processes that will eventually have the park running like a Swiss watch.

I.e if you are in a place with long, cold winters and where the norm is to construct {residential} properties with full basements, then an uninsulated, yet conditioned, basement could be the source of 20+% of your heat loss.Dustin - a 3.5" air gap may be reasonable in Kansas (if you wall assembly was air tight ... even then I am doubtful) - however, it does nothing about the 12 - 15% of your wall that is framing and a thermal bridge.When it comes to windows, there are advantages to triple glazing and inert gases (though they do eventually normalize with the atmosphere) ... however a well-built double glazed window with an insulated frame will match, or out perform a triple glazed window with your run-of-the-mill aluminium or vinyl frame.   

@Aquila PhillipsGo to local REI meetups in your area, be there consistently and make sure you have some business cards.Talk to a bunch of people, and eventually you will figure out who's active and not.

Is starting out my real estate investing career with wholesaling as a stepping stone to eventually buying and holding properties for cash flow as common or realistic as everyone makes it seem?

My goal is 5 years.My husband works on roofs as a solar installer and hopes to get off the roof and away from the long hours eventually.

Thanks for the reply @John HornerI'm looking to increase my buy-and-hold portfolio (preferably with MF and/or off-campus student housing, but open to SF as well).Would eventually like to get involved with some syndicates- I'm still learning more about those right now.Really just started getting serious about real estate within the last 8 months, but have some investors and am working on getting connected with a property management company soon hopefully.

If no water flows into it and it never rains it will eventually dry up.

I can only put hope on the high deposit if eventually major cleaning is needed.