And correct me, since you have boots on the ground.1.  

If you have $200,000 cash, can't you use that towards the purchase?

I’m very new to the world of business, real estate and investing.

The plan is to each live in one unit for the first year (to meet owner-occupancy requirements), then move out and rent all four units once the year is up. 

In these areas, the variables that make or break a deal are usually taxes, HOA rules, insurance, and tenant demand — not whether the property is $240K vs $260K.A few points that align very well with your plan:• Starting in your 40s is not late — it’s strategic when you have a defined 10–12 year runway and actual capital habits.• Investing close to home is an operational edge, especially early on — oversight, leasing, rehab control, and vendor relationships are easier when you know the ground.• A $250K entry price point in the north Houston corridor can still cash-flow if you buy with either value-add or buying below‐market conditions.If you ever want a second set of eyes on a property in Conroe / Spring / The Woodlands / Huntsville — running numbers, validating rent comps, or stress-testing taxes/insurance — feel free to tag me here and I’m happy to help where it adds value.Welcome to the community — and to the Houston north-side investor lane.

As the first project, I would suggest a small single-family or multifamily property that requires small to medium renovation, and hold it as a rental or flip it on the market.

Can anyone recommend a good script for cold calling land owners or at the very least, a general script to call property owners?

Btw.. this was done by one of the main contractors for the pm group...

Quote from @Christopher Tinelli: I’m working on getting my first doors under management and would love to hear from others about what worked best for them in the early days.

Time and hard-knocks are the best teachers.