@John Rooney
Hey John. It is worth the time, and cost, to form an LLC if your goal is liability protection. A DBA will not protect you from liability/lawsuits.
Like many areas in business, it's better to do it right the first time. There are different options for creating LLCs. You don't even need to form it in your state that you live or do business in. For example, I live in Maryland but have a SERIES LLC in Indiana. A series LLC allows you to designate multiple "series" LLCs underneath the master LLC, each with their own liabilities. I am doing BRRRR in Indianapolis, but can register my business in another state if I would like.
One important thing to keep in mind about creating an LLC out of state is that you need to pay a "Registered Agent" to forward important paperwork to you, such as judgments. You pay for an address and company for mail to go to. If you decide to live and do business in KY, then you can be your own registered agent.