@Nina Atenburger Best Advice Ever: Start earlier, dump your fears (it's all the same work just more zeros at the end), work with mentor/partners to speed up the learning curve 10X, and think muuuuch bigger!

God speed!

I want to hire a general contractor, I feel a good GC would help speed up the flip which would limit holding cost and help get a good estimate.

Without breaking things down too terribly much...what about getting the 1st 1/1 up to speed in rent and renting out your 3/1?  

I wish you the very best...God Speed, Michael Short 

If this is not a "deal", then why go at his speed instead of yours?

Short of having sensors, high speed wifi, and video surveillance that would invade your tenants privacy nothing replaces the human touch. 

Obviously due to school I cannot do this so my question is what can I do RIGHT NOW to help speed the process up and if there is anything else I can do to make this investment go more “smoothly” when it occurs.EXTRA: I recently got a job that pays around $450 biweekly.

Leverage increases the speed of wealth growth with a higher risk factor.

Sometimes its the speed of the deal, sometimes they want you to buy all the furniture from their passed mom's house that they are selling, sometimes they want to sell to you but "rent back" the house for $1 a month for three months while they find a new home.Your negotiation is all dependent on YOU finding their real problem (sometimes it is $) and solving it.