You need to find a fit that you are comfortable with.

For context, professionally Stocks and Options is my career course and comfort zone.

I am confident that one or two will stand out in meeting your particular needs or will feel very comfortable to you.

Some common ones that come to mind in addition to a hot tub are a cedar sauna (gotta lean into that Minnesota sauna culture - check out Cedar and Stone out of Duluth for some really cool sauna ideas), snow shoes or cross country skis, or even just a nice outdoor firepit area with tons of firewood (you could also include complementary s'mores supplies for every reservation).  

If so, how do you reassure sellers and make them comfortable with carrying a note for someone they don't know?

There was a lot of feedback from the realtors and clients that the payment for the house and the quality of the area weren't very much in tune, so the end buyer wasn't very comfortable with it.

Are you comfortable with that number?

I'm not a traveler, currently live in Idaho heading to St Louis, so I'm investing in myself and pushing myself to grow, getting out of my comfort zone.

Otherwise it will have to be an investment property loan with about a 20-25% downpayment.The trade off with less capital is you have to be more uncomfortable with your living situation while a higher down payment loan product gets you a more comfortable living situation.

If I'm in your shoes, I would use this as an opportunity to network with other brokers in the office as well as attend local meetups to get a feel for who the movers and shakers are.