I'm just now researching what the process entails and am looking for some IRL experience from anyone on here.Thank you for any advice you may be able to lend.

Can you clarify what the two approaches entail?

I don’t want to discourage you, but I also don’t want to give you false hope on what RE entails.

Talk to your loan officer about exactly what this entails. 

As was mentioned earlier, buying an existing business is a strategy that should not be overlooked.I consistently see business owners working anywhere from a few hours per week to full time, pulling in $300K+ net to the owner, with a selling price of about $750K - $1M +/-.If the business is Amazon-proof (some retail, but not entailing personal service) and federal regulation-proof (fossil fuels and whatever else they decide to drop the hammer on), and you have the business chops to run it, that seems like a more stable and safe investment.Baby boomers who own these businesses are suddenly considering their exit strategy. 

Entails helping me run a holding company (Greene River, LLC), a speculative construction company (Sage Communities, LLC), and an Opportunity Zone fund (Asheville Urban Infill). 

In this guide to residential real estate appraisals, we’ll break down what home appraisals entail, how they work, and why they are important for both buyers and sellers.What is a Home Appraisal?

Whether that entails using creative financing or physically adding value to the property in sight of increasing rents are all possible options. 

This work would entail getting quotes from local cleaners, and reaching out to others with STRs in the area you are looking to see if they will provide numbers for electrical, water, and other utility bills.

I was not willing to further discover what that would entail and how much more that would cost.