Hi Robel,There's a lot of ways to immerse into REI - start by reaching out to people, offering value.

I would be looking for a Realtor, that has me as best interest, not just another commission check, that also invests in the same locations that I could use their contractor, property manager, lender, maintenance crew.I guess the "I want Cash Flow + Appreciation" is what everyone wants, but it is easier said than done.My version of "investing in Vegas" is gambling.

But know going in your taking a gamble on where market price will be in those years to come.     

It's already a known challenge with sunk costs.So, pay close attention to your monthly statements and, assuming you have a PMC, chat with them at least monthly for 30-45 minutes to learn more about how they are managing your property.BTW - w/o you doing more research than you did before buying these two properties, STR will just be the next "shiny object" you gamble your money on!

So it's gambling.

Aside from doing my own inspection when permitted by the seller and gambling that money on a property.

Because anything else, your NOT investing, your gambling. it's going to the roulette table with your grocery $ and praying it wins.

But to tell the average John/Jane Doe off the street to just shazam up a team and jump in, gamble there $100k, $300k, $700k+ on learning as they go blindly forward.......

I had 30+ listings at the time, so I knew it was a gamble. 

Multiple universities, hospital systems, large corporate employers (Proctor and Gamble, Honda Jet, Syngenta, Mack Trucks, Volvo, Toyota).