The biggest change in terms of lending programs id say is fannie's changes to allow for 5% down for 2-4 units.

When Trump did it we ended up with the biggest deficit of all time, well before the pandemic. 

The biggest key to self-management is being EXTREMELY PROACTIVE.

The biggest mistake is not truly understanding the exit strategy.

I can tell you the biggest thing is as long as you run your numbers tight and have good contractors you can be pretty successful at it.

The major downside is you'll have to filter through a few scammers and fake gurus.I recommend (on your own) doing as much research and legwork as you can.

On of the biggest scams/ money maker in the country , 

I think screening will be your best friend if you go this route to prevent the most headaches. 2) I'd say the biggest problem renting by room is potentially laws about unrelated persons living in same household.

Currently, funding seems to be our biggest hurdle in acquiring real estate. 

Consider the downside (what if you take them to court and end up with nothing) before you jump in the deep end.I hope this situation resolves itself for you and doesn't put you off of investing in real estate.