I'd like to simply buy a turnkey rental and make cashflow but I understand that's easier said than done and turnkey properties likely won't provide me ideal ROIs.

You should have a chat with your accountant, if you had a loan on the property, you may need to buy a property for more than the cash you received to defer 100% of the gain.Best of luck

I would love to partner with anyone, learn from anyone and do anything I can to provide value.

Plus the mortgage company probably calls the loan, and if you can't pay it off then you can lose the property.

Is it right that short term rentals are considered as licensing the property for use (similar to a hotel) and not a lease for a long term rental and therefore do not require a brokerage license to provide management services that include price adjustments? 

The home was then sold for a profit, providing a strong return on investment.

We have both always been interested in forming some partnership in which I do the leg-work and he provides the finances.

I assume you’ve got a loan that says you will be living there.

I have a client in ATL that knows STR very well and could provide some resources if needed.

If a HELOC isn’t an option, alternatives like a home equity loan, business line of credit, or a DSCR loan could work depending on your situation.