Definitely start jumping into the community here and feel free to ask any questions related to Real Estate investing!

Have you visited a few communities to get a feel for the areas you feel comfortable working in?

The best way to jumpstart your investing career IMO is to network with others in the REI community.  

@Caleb Clay welcome to REI and the BP community!

I just wanted to acknowledge it is nice to see all the help from the BP community in situations such as this

We are not having those issues though on new construction even though make new highs.. for instance in Portlandia I am selling the exact same house on the exact size lot 1 mile as the crow flys from last years community I built .. and the house is selling for 75 to 100k more exact same house 12 months later  and I sold 23 of them in 4 months.. not one appraisal issue.. although we have had a few cash sales and most are conventional but a few FHA and one VA.so last year I sold this model for 350 to 370k  this year 439 to 459k.. 

I would also contact every local community bank within 50 miles of your location and meet in person with them on your project. 

Hi Bigger Pockets Community, I'm Elizabeth from San Jose - married with two school-age kids.

Thank you BiggerPockets community for all your replies and experience!

I have access to $20-$30K for downpayment etc. 800+ credit score, a good paying job, and need to find a local REI friendly lender to not only lend money but perhaps even lend advice on best ways to get my 30K to work for me.Property under agreement is in Des Moines proper but I will be looking to buy in the surrounding communities to the south as well (Indianola, Norwalk, West Des Moines, Carlisle).I could go to a big bank and finance this first house but I would like to start a long term relationship now.