Seems very limiting for the investor.  

I don’t have much practical experience yet, but I analyze properties every day and try to understand how the market works.I’m at a point where I want to start investing, but I have limited resources and many possible paths wholesaling, get a w2 job for a DSCR loans or fha, flips, etc.).I’d love to hear advice from experienced investors: if you were in my position at 19, what would you do to start building a real estate portfolio or gaining real experience?

However those circumstances are limited to investors with the ability to refinance when the promotional rates terminate, or those who have a sale of the property in place. 

@Madeline Marquardt does the lease not have an animal limit. 

Maybe you might want to see if your current lender for the existing HELOC is willing to extend your credit limit?

Single story, 3-5 bedroom, STR/MTR hybrid, No HoA limitations on rentals. 

I currently have very limited connections in real estate.

Steve you are right to pause and ask questions before moving everything into an irrevocable trust Once assets are placed there you generally give up control which can limit flexibility later A lot of real estate investors in Maryland and beyond instead start with a revocable living trust for estate planning and probate avoidance then look at more advanced options like irrevocable trusts for asset protection or tax planning when it makes sense Since you already hold everything in an LLC you have a layer of liability protection so the trust decision is more about estate planning and taxes I’d recommend sitting down with an experienced estate planning attorney who understands real estate investing so you can weigh whether a revocable or irrevocable trust fits your goals

I would try to limit the SF to about 1100-1300 depending on the floor plan.

A few tactics most successful builders lean on: • Contracts: One-sided contracts sound good on paper, but in practice they can hurt your reputation and limit repeat buyers.