Many independent agents have access to ReInsurePro which is basically NREIG for agents - plus many other programs. 

But I stayed the course, worked through the process, and ultimately gained access to capital to support future investments.Sharing this for anyone who may be hitting similar roadblocks—persistence matters, and the right opportunity can come together when you least expect it.If you’re navigating this space and need direction, feel free to connect.

Unless you’re part mountain goat or an experienced rock climber, it’s not exactly “build-friendly” access.

I wanted to share a deal I’m working on because it made me realize you can sometimes enter a BRRRR-style deal by buying the debt instead of the property.Here are the numbers:• 3 bed, 2 bath single-family home in Michigan• Non-performing mortgage acquired through foreclosure• Unpaid balance: ~$95k• Purchased the note for ~$60kAfter stepping into the position of the note holder and completing foreclosure, I now control the property.The plan now looks very similar to BRRRR:• Rehab the property• Stabilize it with an occupant• Potentially refinance or sell once stabilizedGoing through this process made me realize how much easier deals could be if sellers could see real buyer interest signals up front, so I built a deal intelligence platform that helps sellers close faster by identifying active buyer signals around note deals.If you’re a note investor or BRRRR-e, DM me, I’m giving early access to anyone who wants to check it out and see how it could help speed up your next deal.

But it might allow me to purchase a home, get a better-paying job and then when I'm ready, access cash to buy an investment property, in addition to any other business or house hacking going on.

Also note there are successful STRs on the same road at a higher elevation offering better views, but harder to access (4wd required).I apologize for the length of this so far, but I post this to ask 1) Has anyone ever started their real estate investment career by building an STR and 2) What am I potentially missing that may make this a not-so-good idea for starting in real estate investing?

Small changes (rent, vacancy, access) can make a big difference in how buyers respond.

Tools built for rent collection let tenants set up recurring payments and keep everything documented automatically, which makes life a lot easier at year-end.For example, platforms like Zillow let you collect rent online, send reminders, and access records/1099s in one place Personally, I’ve been using Baselane’s platform — tenants can set up auto-pay, payments are tracked automatically, and everything flows into the bookkeeping side so I’m not reconciling things later.

The MLS is picked over in most markets -- good wholesalers see deals earlier and have better access to off-market inventory.

Setback requirements, platting issues, utility access, wetland designations - these can all kill a deal.