You have some good comments above but I would also suggest to try some local real estate meetup groups.

I'm looking at small multifamiles and won't have an issue with capital thankfully.I am in Arkansas and looking to stay local-ish initially.

I attended the presentation but it ended without explaining that.

Just be sure to check local regulations because some spots are cracking down on STRs.

I would prefer 4, but I have to make the numbers make sense for me and my current financial position.I attended a webinar last night from a veteran who's been in real estate for years and understands use of the VA loan.

Consider your investment strategy—house hacking, turnkey rentals, or real estate syndications—and start networking through local meetups or BiggerPockets forums.

Aloha Sino, id recommend a lender in your local area of Texas.

For the areas of interest (you are local so I'll say suburbs west of City Line Avenue) there are few and far between -and- have many investors sitting on large sums of cash to jump on anything that comes up (where I would be navigating a reverse 1031.) 

We found that two key factors significantly helped us succeed with our short-term rental (STR): using NightlyPricer instead of AirDNA and opting for Safely Insurance.NightlyPricer: Rather than relying on AirDNA, we chose Nightly Pricer, which provides more dynamic, real-time adjustments based on demand, local events, and market trends.

Go to small local/regional banks NOT national ones.