@Emma Whear I might suggest you talk to a local real estate attorney (or another owner of a similar property) to make sure you prepare yourself if/when the City's blind eye starts being able to see ;-)

I took the course last October... got swamped in my currently real estate business... went through a 90 day "challenge" course with RAL academy....

Quote from @Dan Farsht: I am looking to connect with other hard money lenders in the upper Midwest (our business is currently concentrated in the Greater Milwaukee Area). 

Since you're in Destin, you might want to check with local firms that have experience with STR-heavy communities, as they’ll be familiar with the risks and requirements.

@Ross DerouenBigger Pockets is a great place to find an accountant specializing in real estate taxation.A good real estate accountant can save you thousands of dollars by leveraging entity selection and formation, tax deductions, cost segregations, bonus depreciation and tax planning.I recommend finding an accountant specializing in real estate taxation, business taxation, financial planning and tax planning.Consider working with your accountant remotely to expand your options.I would also recommend looking for an accountant willing to work with you throughout the year.

Favorable Legal Framework for Foreign InvestorsGermany offers a straightforward and investor-friendly property market, with laws that protect the rights of both local and international investors.

Ultimately, you will need to have the borrowed funds in USD and ideally in your US business entity bank account to sail through underwriting with US lenders on US properties.Caveat: the rates will likely be something like 10-12% so it would not make sense on a long-term holding, more like on a down payment on a purchase and rehab value-add project that you will eventually sell (or cash-out refinance) to pay off the borrowed funds in a few months. 

I am on the board of CFRI, the local chapter of the National REIA.

The management companies & local investors usually lease places up within 1-2 weeks max (depending on if you want to hold out of higher rents) How would you think about leasing these out? 

Investing in Wisconsin and Illinois is a great move—both states offer solid opportunities for multifamily and single-family rentals.If you’re looking to connect with like-minded investors or agents, I’d recommend joining local real estate meetups or REIA groups in the areas you’re targeting.