A borrower really needs to have at least some "skin in the game" to make lenders feel comfortable.

But not all land is fair game.

In fact, some of the best opportunities in real estate come from properties that others overlook—distressed homes with potential that just need the right investor to bring them back to life.If you’ve been in the game long enough, you know that distressed properties can offer huge upside, but they also come with their own set of challenges.

You can also check their reviews online at Google, Facebook, or Yelp.

I've noticed that properties with virtual tours tend to get more engagement online, and investors/agents who use them often say they help attract more serious buyers and renters. 

He can spend the next few years-ish getting a finance degree through an online school while working part time, but he just got offered a full time position helping with sales for a local wholesale real estate company. 

I’m brainstorming ideas on how I can market myself to potential mentors in the STR game in order to gain experience.

Can't find much online....  

Even with HMLs, they would either want to see reserves, or you would still need to put in a little 'skin' into the game to make the deal workGood luck!

Look, we were for most part playing a game of American Football for a long time.