We are saving a lot each month for a down payment but I’d like to know if I have more options to purchase instead of exhausting my cash reserves. 

Once that's exhausted, go to the next lowest down payment option and the next etc... until that's exhausted and then do the next.All of this means you'll be moving quite a bit, but if you're gaining rental properties (I would certainly buy units at this stage of the game), and the properties are close to one another, why not?

@Timothy Gleason thanks for that exhaustive list.

This thread talks about some of the detailed questions you should be asking of any Tk company you consider (thread started by another then-new CA investor): https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/55/topics/361999-new-investor-from-glendale-caThis isn't an exhaustive list (we're working on a much more comprehensive list for our site, which should be up by the end of the month) but it's a great place to start.

There are so many ways for you to get started in investing, like buying your first home to start the equity clock, investing in a multi-family and living in one, using your SFH/rental as AirBnB, etc, that I would suggest exhausting your local opportunities before looking elsewhere (especially as a newbie).Find a local agent, wholesaler or investor who can answer your questions on the local market.  

It's exhausting, no matter how many times you say grass is red it will not make it so. 

It was so exhausting on my end trying to get him to take the smallest steps every day.

This is why I advise everyone to put HML as a plan Z, the absolute LAST resort and to only consider once everything else has been exhausted AND with EXTENSIVE consideration to assure, without a doubt, it will be very short-term and is ONLY a temporary bridge-financing.

Funds will probably be exhausted before I'm even able to apply. 

They said they would: 1)take out the old tiles around the shower walls, 2)replace the floor shower tiles which are currently uneven and result in water pooling in the corners, 3) and replace the damp drywall behind the tiles on the walls, waterproofing it, and treating any mold before reinstalling high quality acrylic tile boards instead of tilingWe would like them to also add an exhaust to the bathroom that will vent out to the roof but they said they can't do that since they are not licensed in that area.