The good news is that once you gain some traction you can hire a VA to help with the initial calls (either part time or full ). 

I’m just worried it won’t cover my cost to pay my lender back for the flip and I would have to come out of pocket or sell the house for minimal gain. 

You may be able to gain a lot and share a lot in those types of groups.

I want this to be a vehicle for my wife and I to gain financial freedom and grow a portfolio to support the lifestyle we want when I retire. 

Put $500-$1k on 5-10 of them and hope one of the get you 300-1000% gains-- you still may be in a loss. 

This is the best place to learn and gain info, welcome!

I’m hopeful going into this slow season  because I have traction and great SEO optimization but can’t give any sort of projection at the moment. 

Closing four properties in less than a year exceeded my expectations, especially considering my initial hesitations.I am continuously learning about different markets and strategies, and I’m grateful to have gained enough knowledge that others are now seeking my advice.

The important points often glossed over are (1) is the buyer providing their personal guarantee to the seller for the note (2) is the seller maintaining a wrap position so they can foreclose in the event of default and gain ownership (3) is the buyer putting up additional collateral (4) how large is the down payment (5) what is the LTV (6) is this a personal residence for the seller or investment property (7) will the property cash flow and if so what will the cash flow be (8) is the property in a increasing, declining, or stabilized area (9) is the property being sold at market value, or above market value because of the low interest rate of the existing mortgage and (10) how experienced and what is the track record of the buyer, and is the buyer purchasing a property for investment or to live in or otherwise use.  

Advertising can be done on a STR platform, but will probably get more traction on websites where people are more likely to look for more than a nightly/weekly rental.