Our plan is to continue with out-of-state properties, as the numbers (among other things) seem really hard to make work in California, although we are exploring some in-state STR opportunities.I've already found BP to have some super useful info in the forums, looking forward to reading more!

Following this thread, The prices of established cabins are very high in this market and I am exploring the build route.Anyone have experience here in buying land and getting a cabin built? 

Financing ConsiderationsDon’t forget to explore various financing options.

As a fellow professional looking to get into real estate investing, I can definitely relate to the challenges of balancing your practice with exploring investment opportunities.

DSCR lenders might offer flexibility in fee structures, so it’s worth exploring whether they can streamline costs if you’re using the same lender for both transactions.If you take out $50k for the down payment on the second house, you can always tap into the remaining equity in the future, but doing so later could result in additional fees, as you’d likely need to refinance or apply for a second HELOC.

By consistently offering work, you may be able to secure lower labor costs.Source Alternative Materials: Explore alternative or lower-cost materials that still maintain quality.

I will definitely try exploring in excel to see which route is the cheapest. 

Some lenders may allow more leniency on STR usage while still qualifying the property as a second home.If you want help navigating lenders that are STR-friendly or to explore financing options, I’d be happy to assist.

If you'd like help crunching numbers or exploring financing options, feel free to reach out!

If you have enough equity you can start exploring agency debt that can be 1-3 points lower than market rate debt.