Give yourself a 12‑week sprint: analyze 10 deals a week, attend one meetup, and post a weekly progress update to build accountability and attract mentors.

They may even spend a couple of hours with you on a Saturday (but NOT Sunday) to tour a few properties - preferrably one or two undergoing a decent amount of RentReady repairs or rehab.Make it clear to anyone you hire that you expect VIDEO updates of rehab progress!

On the ops side, analyze 10 deals a week, make 2–3 offers, and post a weekly progress update to attract mentors.

A lot of hard money lenders won’t touch a deal once demo has started because they can’t verify the scope or what’s been done so far, but the ones who do this regularly will just underwrite it as a “rehab in progress.”Here’s your best path:1.

I’m now seeking guidance on the right sequence of steps to take to begin my real estate journey.While I understand that a 3–5 year timeline may seem ambitious, I’m always up for a challenge and committed to working toward it.I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my progress!

Keep us updated on your progress, we all learn from each others experiences.

For your first flip, you must fully understand and budget for this potential issue.Red Flags ChecklistFor the General Contractor (GC):Delayed Quotes: Significant or repeated delays in providing you with bids and quotes.Poor Communication: Lack of responsiveness or reliable communication.Unreliable References: References that are difficult to contact, overly vague, or seem fabricated.Contractor & Project ManagementPre-Vetted GCs: Have a small list of multiple General Contractors ready to go before you need them.Active Oversight: Commit to visiting the property frequently—at least once a day, if necessary—to monitor progress and preempt issues.Financial & Deal FocusThe Deal-Killer: Be aware that the biggest hurdle in acquiring a property is often the seller's unrealistic price expectation.Conservative Estimation: You must be very conservative with your repair and renovation estimates.Don't Solely Rely on Others: Do not rely only on your contractor's estimates.Collaborate and Verify: Collect as much information as possible from your entire team to form your own final, conservative budget.Realtor Expertise: Your realtor should be a key part of your team, and they must be knowledgeable about the house-flipping business and local construction costs, (hands-on experience).Next StepsThe comment you made at the end of your original note is important and likely requires its own, separate discussion thread to give it the attention it deserves!

During the “funding tour” in Spokane, besides the ones we could buy, we were also shown a couple of houses in progress, purchased by people in previous Inner Circle classes, and one house that was finished, ready to sell.

Jumping into a duplex or triplex would be a very natural progression — less renovation hassle than cutting up another SFH, and way easier to scale.3.

@Mike ManchelloHey Mike, your plan is solid and very much in line with what successful young investors do — starting with house-hacking to build equity and cash flow, then scaling into small multifamily, and eventually larger commercial properties is a smart progression.