I'd recommend shopping around with different lenders so you have a general idea/feel about what to expect in terms of rates and the whole process itself.

However, that doesn't mean there aren't good investment opportunities available.Richmond has a diverse real estate market with several neighborhoods offering potential, though it might require looking into properties with different strategies in mind.

Make sure your not buying on the wrong side of a city/school border and are using rent comparisons that might be geographically close but are really different renter markets(like buying in East Cleveland and using Cleveland Heights rents).  

It really does depend on the numbers but I would personally rather be paying down my own mortgage than throwing money away through renting a different property. 

It's a difficult job balancing all the different priorities as a PM, so finding one who focuses on your priorities is a must.

Also, what is it about an LLC,  should I get one to put this property under, and a different LLC for each future property?  

You can try looking for someone within your state or find someone from a different state.

If everyone was educated in this I think people would make drastically different decisions in almost all aspects of life. 

Multifamily’s wave will crest causing the asset class to struggleMany different thoughts on this.

Louis is how you will meet different lenders, investors, and agents to help make the project happen once you have the funds.If you grind it out now and build a solid foundation for the future, I'm sure you'll be successful moving forward.