I also invest in other assets such as stocks, and private companies as well. for RE agents I see absolutely no conflict.. its their job.. not every agent starting out can afford to buy a rental.. and note very agent even wants to own a rental ( like me) I only like to deal in land when I sold RE to the public .

I go in the unit, no signs of mold and sturdy cabinets.   

No i have not seen this.

You've done a great job with keeping your debt low so I have no concerns about your level of discipline to use/reuse a line of credit.All the best!

That’s how I got started—with little to no money out of pocket.

If there is no explanation, ask for one]Why on Earth is YOUR LLC owed money by 200 Walnut Street LLC?  

No agents involved.

Suggested to do that earlier than later, so there is no liability on a tenant who is not on the lease paper.

Maybe he's the exception.But the good news is - no matter what you do, if your brother just leaves it all as "passive" and doesn't mess with anything, whether short term rentals, or traditional rentals - the right tax planning could mean a box of his investment dollars that is effectively able to grow tax free. 

when they find a growing market that works well for their investment there is no reason to try to look for another market.