@Bob Bowling I really like your signature line "It slowly dawned on me that we won the real estate lottery!"

@Jeremy Salo Duluth has a very limited amount of STR licenses and they are given out by lottery, so you literally must win the lottery to operate an STR in Duluth. 

Just like lottery winning.  

Some realtors I knew thought it's like winning a lottery.

A lottery ticket would be a better investment. 

Of course when people are being told with $50k they can double their money every 2-3 years with no experience - then hey let them believe they are hitting the lottery. 

Our STRs and our MTR (it did not get a license in the city STR lottery (was a STR until May 2023)) have a professional, licensed, insured PM operating them.  

But the odds of winning the lottery are much better, with a LOT less work. 

The guys I know that invested in the areas you mention are doing well, let's say it as if they won the lottery and with little headaches.

Only for those lucky professionals whose real estate is their 9-5 can benefit but this shift is bad because it means the destruction of home ownership for starter families in order to build their own whealth and maintain the middle class instead of the select few lucky lottery winners with inherited generational wealth or professionals doing RE for their 9-5 as you mentioend via the the A,B,C,D alphabet culture and in effect, real estate will only be owned by generational wealth as the middle class becomes renters and the homes are all owned by businesses, LLC, vacation homes, AirBNBs nerds, etc.