I look for $200 or more cash flow, but the fact is, the difference between your $90 cash flow and a $200 cash flow goal are some estimates.

For my brokerage account, I have individual stock REITs and a few indexes.

$40,000 will likely get you a $150,000 house at 20% down, closing costs and a small budget for repairs.I would continue the first 1/2 of 2019 educating yourself on real estate(reading books, podcasts and analyzing properties on the MLS).Good luck to your investing career.

Great write up @Vijaianand Thirunageswaram -- nice to hear you both made it out with some cash and a good learning experience. 

- Myself and a family member (uncle) are purchasing a property

That being said,  I do believe that you can get all of those connections (and maybe find even better ones) once you really get up and running, and as stated by BP in some of their podcasts, you don't need to use contracts from an agent. 

And as we all know I need my primary to be rented for a year and a day to be considered investment. 

Zillow, Redfin, and a local MLS are all good ways to research.

But more importantly, if you are talking about a year and a half from now for that second refi, consider where mortgage rates will be then?

So to sum it all up...I think what I've learned most or how becoming a landlord has most changed me is to appreciate how fortunate I am to have been raised and been exposed to the opportunities I have and that I was not born into generational poverty and a limiting mindset.