And of course what your current financial situation is... the nice part about that W2 is that you have access to nice conforming loans, so if you have the capital, or can find partners, you could be able to scale pretty quickly with the right groundwork.The other question is what is your current job?

Find an investor-friendly agent who specializes in multi-family and who has access to all of the MLS data in your area.

I have access to a one page sim0plified contract that a Alabama native created that works in any state because it is very specific to the  repeatable transaction.

There are a few self-contained guides that you can access here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guidesAlerts can be really helpful too: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts

I like the search features: https://www.biggerpockets.com/searchUse the Bigger Pockets glossary to learn more about real estate terms that may be new to you: https://www.biggerpockets.com/rei/glossaryThere are a few self-contained guides that you can access here: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides

The regulations in NJ for 2- and 3-family homes are very different in terms of egress, back stairwell access and lighting, and inspections.

@Mark Ainley - I know that the larger property management companies, such as you, can pull these in house separately, but any suggestions for those of us who don't have access to this?

For those without MLS access, Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, and Realtor.com should get you the info you are seeking unless you live in a non-disclosure state, as home sale price is not public record in such states.

For occupied rentals, you can talk/incentivize the tenant to allow a showing, but be sure to not violate on real estate laws about showings.There will always be tranferees and other people that will contact an agent to find them a rental and the agent will then control the client - requiring an owner to agree to pay the agent something to access their client.There will also always be DIY landlords that will hire an agent to list their rental in the MLS and they will have to pay the agent for their services.We do NOT agree with hiring agents to screen applicants.

If you have a full-time job with a good salary, you may have a 401K that you can take a loan against.The alternative is the HELOC on your personal residence.I don't think you can really go wrong on the two HELOC options.The difference in rate is less than $100 / year per $10,000 borrowed.If you go with the 5 year HELOC, you may be able to do another HELOC in 5 years where hopefully you have more access if your home appreciates more.