Not to take anything away from you, but you know the prices of real estate (especially in NY), so I know it may not seem like much, but I think you've overcome the most difficult obstacle and that is going from 0-1.The way I see NY is that it does not meet any basic requirements for investing: it has low cap rates, high taxes, stagnant or decreasing population, anti-landlord laws/sentiment, rules & regulations etc, etc.

Minneapolis, MN· Top 3 Employment Industries:o Education & Healthcare: 17%o Government: 11.0%o Financial: 7.4%· Average 1 BR Rent: $1,588· Renter Occupied Housing: 55%8.

I am learning about SEC rules and regulations.

I’d suggest doing what I did; you can go on your state government’s website and you can find a list of all the banks and credit unions licensed to do business in your state.

Arlington county has pretty decent accessory dwelling unit (ADU) regulations, and Fairfax county also recently eased restrictions (still stricter than arlington), so you may have some success there too. 

It seems the NYC real estate landscape is heavily regulated so flipping and assigning contracts (especially in such a competitive and well-priced market) would be an uphill battle...

I’m wondering if there are any restrictions or regulations on short term rentals in the Atlanta area?

If you do NOT have a federally backed loan you need to focus on your city and state regulations about evictions.

.), regulations, and anything else pertinent to the business. 

Local government just got involved by taxing Short terms and are starting to crack down on "Ag Shacks" (student rentals in neighborhoods).