These platforms should also NOT replace the income-generating and lead-generating practices of calls, emails, doorknocking, open houses, follow-up, etc.Instead, you should use these platforms to: document your day-to-day as an agent; feature deals/properties that you/your clients are looking at; share relevant RE or market data; etc.All the best to you as you continue your course & head towards the exam, licensure, etc.Abel

Pair that data with a simple check of each city’s STR rules so you know upfront whether hosting is allowed and under what conditions.

Your market choice helpsColumbus is a solid market for this kind of thinking—reasonable price points, stable rents, and enough liquidity that exit/refi options are usually there if the deal is sound.Big picture answer to your question:Yes—intentional short-term inefficiency can absolutely make sense in exchange for faster portfolio growth if:You stress-test refi timingYou’re conservative on ARVYou preserve flexibility on the front endMany investors stall early by optimizing for the “perfect” loan instead of the right sequence of loans.Happy to see you thinking this through so carefully—this is exactly the kind of question that leads to smart, scalable investing decisions.

If you go the cold call / sms route, pull data from PropStream or Propwire (free option) and focus on motivated sellers - high equity, absentee owners, pre-foreclosure.

It offers a larger financial cushion and more favorable loan terms.Proximity: Investing near where you live vastly mitigates risk, as you can self-manage the property more easily.Since you have a rent-stabilized unit and some flexibility, subletting is an option that would allow you test different cities, although it comes with strict legal caveats:The "No Profit" Rule: In NYC, you cannot legally sublet a rent-stabilized unit for more than the legal rent.

Great data.

I can tell by this if it's the specific location or design/layout or condition that's driving demand.I can then take what I learn through that reconnaissance and pair it with the data sets available online to form a more informed view of the neighborhood’s trajectory.

Also consider using data tools such as ListSource and PropStream to compile and verify investor contact lists.

With 10 receipts a week, that's a few hours of tedious data entry.We've been successfully using AI to scan receipts and automatically itemize line items, then categorize costs correctly.

You can make Section 8 work in a Denver 4 plex house hack, but don’t assume it pays more than market unless your unit specs line up with the payment standard and you can hit the rent reasonableness test.