We host an investor meet up monthly in Alexandria, could be a good place to start.

I know that this is a big risk property but I believe that it has the potential for high return if I can get all of this permitting and renovation work figured out on the front end.I'm just looking for any advice on how to cover myself on the front end prior to making an offer and how to expedite the work so that I can get renters in and start recouping on the investment as soon as possible.

And yes, maybe "be patient and save" is the best move right now, until a good deal comes along.  

Delay gratification is powerful and it's important to start your real estate investing journey early in order to reap the long-term benefits of real estate.

Congrats on starting your short-term rental journey!

Since I'm just starting, I'd appreciate any insights on:-The best ways to build trust and credibility as a beginner.

Since graduating in 2021, I moved to Washington, DC to pursue a civil engineering career and am now feeling like I am in more of a position to start learning and pursuing real estate investing seriously.

House hacking and multi-family properties are great ways to start in real estate!

If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general.

Alternatively, in a QBO Simple Start or Essentials subscription, if seeing profitability by property is important, you could still structure your chart of accounts to reflect each home, though your P&L will be a bit more lengthy & harder to digest.If you have any questions, feel free to reach out, happy to walk you through the pros & cons of QuickBooks options!