I've been a landlord for 30 years. I wasted years by believing I needed 25
% down and cash in reserve. It's not true. You substitute ideas and leg work for money. I've purchased 21 rental houses.
With my first rental house, I assumed an old loan and spent $150 out of pocket to own it. The seller was very motivated to get rid of it. No reason to buy a house if they are not. You can pay full price any day of the week. With new paint and carpet, my place was ready for a renter in two weeks. My fears of all my renters moving out at once and every roof leaking at the same time never happened in three decades.
I recommend looking at 100 properties. After that, you will know your market better than the realtors. ( I rarely used realtors) One or two of those will be good deals. I look for 25% below market value (use that instead of a down payment) and a net cash flow of at least $100 per unit. As rents creep up, mine are $200/ month net now, some are more. Don't be afraid of smelly, sloppy, neglected properties. The way I look at it, the bigger the mess, the more equity.
I used private lenders when I first started. If the deal is good enough, there is profit to share by paying higher interest to friends or family. No one asked for financials or did a credit check. I was never asked to put money down. When one lender wanted his money back, I rounded up someone to take their place. Later, I did get bank loans. It was a little scary how easy that was. You can over-borrow and wreck your cash flow. Remember, the numbers must add up before you buy the property. They don't magically change because it's in your name now.
For fix-up, I have phase one: paint and carpet only. Do not move walls, redo the kitchen or bath. Don't buy a house that needs a roof right away. You're not moving in. Don't make it to your standards. Get it rented. Most stay a year, or year and a half. (though my record is 17 years with the same tenant) When they move out, then do a more extensive fix and raise the rent.
Good luck on finding a great rental property.