Do this now: pick a simple buy box (for example, house hack-ready 2–4 units within a short commute), analyze 5 listings a day for two weeks, and attend two meetups this month to meet operators and a potential mentor.

Personally, as a an STR consumer I care more about finding a decent sharp knife and a cutting board that is bigger than 6" - than a garbage disposal.

Lock a tight buy box by submarket and vintage, underwrite to in-place income first, then model stabilized rents with conservative expenses and a true cap-ex reserve.

We funded the first build with a combination of cash and a HELOC on our primary residence.

I’d use solid-surface or entry-level quartz in the kitchen and a prefab vanity top in the bath—both resist stains, heat, and tenant wear better than laminate without jumping to luxury.

Quote from @Adam Macias: A 50-year mortgage sounds like affordability — but it’s really it'll be debt that never ends. lolOn paper, stretching a mortgage from 30 years to 50 lowers the monthly payment, yes.But in reality, you’re paying far more in interest while barely building equity for decades.If you buy a house at 25 years old if you're lucky, you'll be 75 when the mortgage term ends...It’s housing that feels like ownership but functions more like renting — just with a longer contract and a higher total cost.The real problem isn’t the length of the loan.It’s the affordability crisis that’s forcing people to consider lifetime debt as a solution.Until we address prices, wages, and supply, extending loan terms only delays the inevitable...The further elimination of the middle class chasing the American Dream of owning a home. 

I've attached a screenshot of the letter of approval and a link to their website.

I have been an agent for the past few years and a investor.

The goal is to attract the interest, a stampede when the property becomes available and a bidding war as a result.Your pictures can show the property with all of its glory and be taken such that the problematic windows are not shown.

I did my first one with the help of my buyers agent, the title company who supplied the promissory note for free, and a few hundred bucks for my lawyer to review the docs prior to closing.