Insurance is fundamentally about spreading risk - so avoiding over-concentration in a single area is good, albeit frustrating to the consumer, business practice. 

With the amount of information readily available these days, the number of attorneys willing to take on almost any case, and activist consumer laws and regulations. any strategy that relies on anything other than “adding value” probably doesn’t have long term viability. 

I have been consuming bigger pockets resources/books and personal finance books for the last few years and am working towards getting in the game by purchasing a property this year. 

My case is a bit special, given the W-2 job doesn't really consume a lot of time.

The truth is: having a Will alone vs. setting up a Trust can make a huge difference for your heirs, especially if you own multiple rentals or out-of-state properties.Here’s the quick breakdown:Wills-Cheaper/easier to set up-You can decide who gets which property-BUT: everything goes through probate (public, time-consuming, sometimes costly)Trusts-Avoid probate → properties transfer directly to heirs-Keep your portfolio private (not public record)-You can set rules (“rental income goes to my kids until they turn 25”)-More expensive to set up, and you have to retitle properties into the trustKey tip for investors: If you own property in more than one state, probate could be required in each state.

I have played with that idea, but am hesitant because I know that as a consumer, I haven't transitioned off of the STR platforms yet..

The fact that you're consuming content and asking for advice shows you're committed to doing it right, which is the most important mindset.Here are some thoughts based on your goals and challenges:1.

🙌You’re totally right — tools like Qualtrics/SurveyMonkey and SEMrush/SpyFu are powerful, but I’ve mostly seen them used for marketing/consumer research rather than for real estate investing decisions.That’s what I keep bumping into: plenty of great general platforms, but nothing that brings together real estate–specific data points like:• Voucher demand or housing authority activity (for S8)• Days on market for rentals in a micro-neighborhood• Vacancy + “desirability” indicators (crime/schools)Out of curiosity — if there were a tool that gave you that kind of “plug in an address → get all the market intelligence” insight in one place, what data would be the most valuable for you personally?

By the time the additional mortgage payment consumed the saved $40k, the unit likely appreciated enough that you will be glad you kept the unit.Good luck

Personally, as a an STR consumer I care more about finding a decent sharp knife and a cutting board that is bigger than 6" - than a garbage disposal.