Johnson City could be a great spot for STRs, especially if you focus on hospital staff rotations, visiting professors, or traveling professionals, which would balance out any seasonal dips in tourism.For STRs, consider targeting weekend travelers exploring the Appalachian Trail, Boone Lake, or local festivals.

Above that, though, I would focus on standardizing your renovation, i.e., same tile, paint, flooring, etc.

Plus, if you'd like to connect and talk marketing/sales happy to do coffee or something.Also, there are tons of Facebook groups for Chicago real estate.Lastly, just doing some 1:1 networking with lenders, agents, and architects is something we focus heavily on.

On working this job, I would say to keep the focus on the basics of marketing and client relations.

Many, but not ALL are only focused on the commissions he/ she will earn and not focused, on your best interests.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.

An example in my experience would be a local/regional foundation with a mission that is aligned directly or indirectly with Affordable Housing AND a longer-term investment horizon with less of a focus on the financial return and more on the "social" return for the community.

Speaking of team, focus on building relationships with a lender/realtor/GC early on.

In 2023 I bought one house, invested in one syndication, and focused on fixing up existing properties. 

My primary focus right now is on finding opportunities to generate passive income through real estate investments.As a beginner in the field, I’m eager to learn from others who have gone through the process and are now experiencing the rewards of their hard work.