Quote from @Ragan Manning: Hey Nicholas,I am the owner of Manning Your Books and I work exclusively with REI clients.

The ability to do what you want, when you want, and have money coming in to support that.Things to work on: savings, credit, going to local real estate meetups, listening to podcasts, reading books.

The Long-Distance Real Estate Investing book is a great one to get the lay of the land on doing it from afar, but getting on-site experience will also be important in your journey.

As for books, here are my favorite rookie recommendations:Set for Life!

It's a great book about how he became debt-free and started investing in house hacks.

.- Platform Fees: Airbnb and Vrbo charge around 3% per booking.- Furnishings and Decor: High-quality, durable items are worth the initial investment.- Insurance: Short-term rental insurance (beyond renters') can protect you from guest-related risks.- Licensing or Permits: Check if your area requires permits, as some cities have fees for short-term rental operators.Breakeven Analysis: To calculate your breakeven occupancy rate, add all monthly expenses (rent, utilities, cleaning, insurance, etc.).

Some do 200k a year or more.No way will I believe that unless someone shows me their audited books.

Honestly, as sexy as it sounds to be active and go after them on your own, as a rookie, even with some book education, the real world can knock you on your azz so I would suggest going with a very experienced and proven sponsor.

Then all you realistically can do is manage bookings, delegate to handymen for repairs and hire cleaning service.

@Tim Delaney you asked what the return on equity would be and I'm not sure--I don't have that formula in any of the books I've purchased.