Maybe this would also make it worthwhile to jump through the city hoops to make the basement a legal unit.Then you could maybe put a LTR in the basement who could assist with the STR in the main area.

I've also been focused mainly on Pgh because I have family there who are contractors and can to do any repairs/refurbishments.  

Pls add any special features or terms that your favorite offers.

I have 4 long term rentals in my portfolio and I am mainly focusing on investing in single family homes in Traid, NC. 

The main reason I would like to start off my career with flipping a few properties is so I can have a quick ROI and I want to do real estate full time as soon as I finish my contract.

The main issue with rental basement is water if it has water issue usually it is a simple fix .Clean gutters ,discharge gutter  water away 10" away from foundation, make sure you foundation soil is slopped away from it .If you need to buy soil get a clay mix .Cut back any tree too close to the foundation look at the drip line that's how far the limbs are out from the tree .If all that is done still has water buy a sump pump  carry the water to day light away from foundation 10" to 15" .

My main goal is to invest in real estate in the future, but I want to understand how everything works first.

When networking on BP or in person, being clear about your goals will make a big difference.Are you mainly interested in finding rental properties, connecting with other landlords, or exploring specific asset types?

KeyCheck will still be useful for things like background checks and leases since STR focused apps don't have those features.

They are however good at 20-25% down commercial portfolio loans if you need a creative solution so it depends on what your intended use is, your preference is, are you trying to get maximum leverage aka lowest down payment or is rate or cost your main preference?