Holding off on deals until rates shift again?

That’s not a fluke; it’s a shift.

Some towns are getting stricter with STRs, and demand can really shift with the seasons.

It can be tough, especially when the agents you talk to seem more focused on selling than actually helping you find what makes sense for you as a buyer.I’ve had way better luck since shifting toward off-market stuff—talking to wholesalers, local investors, even just reaching out to owners directly.

The main shift will be accounting for the physical and management aspects of real estate: property condition, tenant relationships, local regulations, etc.Here’s a suggestion to get the ball rolling:Start identifying your buy box—what type of property, in what kind of market, at what price range, and what return metrics you're targeting.Explore turnkey and value-add rentals, especially in landlord-friendly markets in the Midwest or Southeast (if you're open to investing out of state).Leverage your network—you may already have contacts in finance or real estate who can connect you with off-market deals, brokers, or investor-friendly lenders.Once you’re ready to run numbers or evaluate a specific market, happy to walk through the process with you.

You’ve got a solid head start with your commercial background, but just a heads-up—lately I’ve seen more clients shift from STRs to long-term rentals or PadSplits than ever before.

Now, things are shifting.

I would look to build capital and as a partnership opportunity presents itself, then shift more to that.

That’s why you see more success stories in the Southeast, Midwest, or tertiary markets — not urban cores of high-cost states.Some developers are experimenting with modular or manufactured housing to bring costs down, but even then, zoning and land prices remain the gating factors.Until land, policy, and entitlement timelines shift, “affordable” new construction in expensive markets is a tough ask without subsidy. 

But certainly the shift in perspective into how more local issues such as local economy and jobs can have a greater effect on an area than a national or global issue is enlightening.They say that all politics is local.