Having a strong boots on the ground team in the area can help bring good deals to the table, filter deals better, determine viability quickly (which in a market as competitive as this is very necessary), and ultimately get the right deals done.

Now do you have a table of comparison of property appreciation in those 3 states for last 5 yrs and 10 yrs? 

He is seasoned agent but with no rehabbing experience but wants to learn and help and will bring cash to the table for the deal.

My favorite side hustle (other than rentals) is waiting tables at a fine-dining restaurant (and I am almost 50 yrs old).

What are they bringing to the table that you cant get more cheaply or for free?

If you are going to do this type of business make sure it is in an area you can visit or make yourself familiar with, you have someone that is representing YOU at the table like your Attorrney, and you don't make decisions based on "we need to wrap this up". 

US stock market, aka MAG-7, have outperformed 12% to 9.5% with REITs in last 10 yrs and even more strongly in last 5 years at 15.7% to 10.3%, perhaps this will continue but the sp500 currently with a 34.4 Shiller PE, which is much higher than in October of 1929, and that wasn't the best time to start investing, please read the following 1 article and then the graphs/tables, There are also multiple academic studies at the European real estate research site EPRAREITs vs.

Google "Airbnb Ambassadors")  I've worked with over 600+ new Hosts.I'm finding that I'm leaving money on the table because about 20% of new Hosts ask about STR Property Management, would I do it for them, what does it cost,etc. 

You will also want to hit up both AirBNB and VRBO to see what other units are bringing in and to the table.

People are nowhere near as respectable as you'd hope they would be, and would allow pets to lounge on couches, sleep in beds, claw at table legs, etc;4.