The thing Im searching for the hardest is to get a couple of ideas on how to start saving and hopefully make some connections along the way.

Please let me know where and when this meeting will be held so I can be honered to join as a team member and share my ideas with you all.

I like the idea of offering her cash,  but honestly she told you she moved.

On the acquistion, the ideas is that the investor may offer full price on terms and then find a Tenant Buyer to exit. 

I first heard about the idea of house hacking last year and I was hooked!

Once you get an accurate mortgage quote, you can plug that rate into calculators to get an idea of payment.

I have no idea how to maneuver through excel, yet along knowing what info I need for cold calling.

You're not listening to the right podcasts if you have no idea how to find a buyer....check out the WholesalingInc podcast and also look at Max Maxwell on youtube.  

Do you think it makes sense for me to get approved so I have an idea of the interest rate and what percentage down would be required if i intend to buy in the next 6 months or so?

With that said, perhaps there are some BPers out there who have other ideas for what you are trying to achieve with a different type of loan product.Hancock-Whitney (or whatever they are calling themselves nowadays) will do an 80-90% LTV HELOC.