Awesome book, plus it's free and is a great introduction to several avenues you can take in the BEST GAME EVER!!!!

Hi Chad, welcome to the game!

You need to have a good foundation and solid game plan to succeed!  

So my hubby and I made the tough decision to move back to his home town in MI while continuing his flourishing business remotely here in CA so we can jump into this Real Estate game quicker.

I didn't get one minute of sleep last night because I had an idea about how a seller could finance my "skin in the game".

This leaves out those brokers who  churn investors money to repurchase a note, it's the shell game.   

Ideally I'd love to get a one-on-one with someone in the wholesaling game(that's the best way I learn).

CMHC-insured financing can help open the doors to homeownership by enabling homebuyers to purchase a home with a minimum down payment starting at 5%*.Features Loan-to-value ratios up to 95% for 1 – 2 unit owner-occupied properties.Loan-to-value ratios up to 90% for 3 – 4 unit owner-occupied properties.Down payment flexibility — In addition to traditional sources, non-traditional sources of down payment are permitted for loans with loan-to-value ratios from 90.01% – 95%.Flexible financing options — single advance and progress advances are available.CMHC-insured mortgages are portable — helping to reduce or eliminate the premium on the purchase of a subsequent home.CMHC homeowner mortgage loan insurance is available to a maximum of one property (1 – 4 units) per borrower/co-borrower at any given time.CMHC offers mortgage loan insurance premium refunds for homeowners who purchase an energy-efficient home or purchase and make energy-saving renovations to an existing home.

Most hard money lenders will require 20-25% downpayment, so as long as you're looking for properties in the sub-$500K range, you should have enough cash to get started (that said, I like to be very conservative, so perhaps stick below $400K).As for your other questions, use the search feature here on BP and/or check out the best-selling BiggerPockets flipping and estimating costs books:http://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbookThe flipping book actually lays out Steps 1-20 to completing your first flip (20 chapters, step-by-step). 

Do the long game and figure out your WHY.