However, without history of rent and her currently strained finances, she's not going to qualify with a traditional lender.

He's very well qualified, he actually reached out to me to partner up with. 

I know you’re hesitant to leverage your primary home again, but there are actually a lot of ways to make this work:Since you already have solid W2 income, lenders will view you as low-risk, which helps you qualify for conventional or DSCR loans without tapping your home again.

As a new investor or wannabie investor what information, skills, resources, mentoring and etc. are you looking for to move forward? 

My wife is a stay-at-home mom but handles leasing, tenant issues, repairs—basically runs the rentals.We’re exploring if she can qualify for Real Estate Professional Status to offset my W2 income.

Every qualified real estate agent was taught that in the classes for a reason.

But I will say I'd rather work unrepresented than with an agent who is less skilled than me.

As a new agent, you don’t need fancy branding or a shiny office—you need skills, scripts, contract knowledge, lead gen structure, and accountability.

Where the skills need to come in are the lines after those first two questions you ask, it is like working out; the more you workout the more fit you are and the better you feel. 

Edgar, love the hustle—stack skills and credibility now so doors open fast at 18.