@Mike SchorahWhether you’re an agent or investor it’d be good to do a blended approach.

It’s exciting that you and your wife are considering a blend of house hacking and short- to mid-term rentals (STR-MTR), especially as newcomers to both the area and real estate investing.

The rate will be worse than what you could get if you were doing a regular 1st position cash out refi but with such a low rate in 1st currently I believe your blended rate would still be superior this way.  

Many high-net-worth investors take a blended approach - allocating a portion to brokerage accounts for growth and liquidity, and another to real estate for income, tax strategy, and diversification.You’ve already done the research - now it’s about aligning your investments with your goals: freedom, family, and financial control.If you'd like, I can break down a sample allocation strategy or help you evaluate your first real estate deal.

Which means seller and buyer can use you to connect them, and happily cancel the contract to consume all the fruits of your labor for free.

Unless I can tell its going to be a fruitful call as in the person writing has given me some interesting detail that I want to learn about.

That said, one of the best ways to blend the two is by joining a team in your area that primarily works with investors.

Hey sherryyyyy :) MTR is great but we always recommend blending with STR (obtain an STR permit as well) to fill in the gaps.

.********** – Online auction platform for distressed public and private properties.Xome Auctions – MLS + auction blend; alerts for homes headed to auction.💼 Investor-Specific Platforms (Alerts + Data)BiggerPockets – Set alerts on the Marketplace and forums, plus deal calculators and networking.DealMachine – Driving for dollars app with alerts for follow-ups, ownership changes, and lead tagging.Roofstock – Alerts for turnkey, tenant-occupied single-family rentals with yield and cash flow metrics.🌾 Land-Specific (With Alerts)LandWatch – Alerts for land by use (e.g. residential, hunting, timber); great filters.Land and Farm – Similar to LandWatch; ideal for agricultural, rural, and raw land.🤏 Niche or Strategy-Specific (Use If Applicable)FSBO.com – Alerts for new for-sale-by-owner listings; often off-market or underpriced.Rent to Own Labs – Niche site for lease-option or rent-to-own deals.Oodle – Classified-style site that may reveal FSBO or under-the-radar deals.Buildium – Primarily a property manager tool, but sometimes useful for finding rental listings.LoopLender – For financing commercial deals found on LoopNet; includes deal alerting features.These websites provide a variety of tools and data that can help you find real estate opportunities efficiently.ConclusionBy setting up automatic alerts on these websites, you can streamline your search process, save time, and increase your chances of finding profitable real estate investments.

You're navigating a unique hybrid opportunity with this VA assumption + gap financing model, so let's walk through the best options to minimize your out-of-pocket (OOP) while protecting long-term upside.Strategy: Blend of Negotiation, Creative Financing & Leverage1.