I would consider delegating all of that $12k cash as your emergency fund, as surprises tend to pop up when owning real estate, less so with condos, but there are still plenty of variables that can disrupt your financial growth. 

Mom and Pop manage it, with their motivation to sell being health and age related.

Nicely said @Russell BrazilThey keep having babies but I don't see any new land popping out of Mother Earth. 

Every time a lending question pops into my head I open the file and jot it down.

I'm happy to set you up on an auto MLS search if you like so you'll at least be notified asap when good ones pop up. 

I typically see the same handful of people who's responses i really like so i try to friend them, then their posts pop up in the news feed and i try to read their responses.

Be patient, save cash and be ready when these deals start popping up.

Good morning BP, A question that popped into my mind while reading through some forums would be; How do you determine which markets to pursue?

Another thing that pops into mind is the sales price. 

And right before the finish line, Chase popped up and demanded an extra $5,500 to release their lien.Luckily, my buyers were not selling their home.