I highly recommend working with professionals who understand the unique needs of STR investors—it makes all the difference!

(particularly true for single family homes)  Tom and Aaron may have different experiences.  

Maybe in different markets you could find $300/door but I think it is going to be difficult as a beginner.

i noticed though that the strategies you proposed are very different... an STR is a hospitality business and syndication is (in theory) at least somewhat passive.my main tip in getting started is not to rush into anything. 

This can be the difference between setting goals and achieving them.

That would be different than say a place that someone famous lived in for some time.

I went to 35-40+ different markets a year each year from 2014-2016 to scope out places to lend privately.

So the idea of doing this all from afar is a bit daunting, however, I know the most important thing here will be to create a great team and outsource as much as possible.I have set my sights on a couple of different markets being in the Southeast and the Midwest; these markets seem to provide the cash flow I am initially interested in generating to value add to the properties I purchase.

I would probably start with something different for your first property.  

So, when investing in areas they don’t really know, investors should research the different property Class submarkets.