We've had our MTR operating less than a year, and my coffee table is already too scratched up.

You will need some lighting , portable restrooms , water would be nice , gravel for parking areas , tables .

Those programs will require you to bring 30% of purchase to the table and then all closing costs and holding costs, etc.So if you bought something for 100k let's say, you'd have to bring 30k to the table and then the loans will cost 5k+ to close so there is your whole 35k. 

In this model you have outlined everyone’s roles and responsibilities- who’s bring whst to the table in terms of money, time and effort.

Know what you're looking for in a deal, what you'll bring to the table, what the partner should bring.

I also have a No Commission Marketing Program for Orlando, which markets the units on all the major channels - Airbnb, vrbo, Expedia, Orbitz, Booking, Tripadvisor, Flipkey, HomesToGo, etc - iti si only $49 per reservation - you can find more about it here - ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS - Escala Vacation Rentals .Since you will be doing vacation rentals, you will need to purchase a property in an area, which allows for that , and also make sure you have as many of amenities as possible - the house needs to be themed, you will have to have arcade games in it, foosball / pool table, multiple sleeping areas, private pool, access to fitness, lazy rivers, larger pools, etc.

That way, it 1.) buffers out some of the rise and fall of surges in the market, 2.) makes me seem very fair and not greedy, and 3.) there is never (*yet) an instance where I'm trying to explain to them why rent won't drop, even though the fair market shows that the rent should be lower than it is.Yes, it does leave a little money on the table, but it still allows for constant, logical, and generous rent raises.

During this time my wife and I were doing some side hustles. ( We were refurbishing kitchen tables and selling them,  we also had a pair                  of Australian Cattle Dogs that we bread and sold.

If I were you, I would look at what skills I bring to the table and see how I can transition that into real estate investing.

I added a pool table, wine, robes and I provided snacks/water plus other complimentary items.