When rental demand dips they suffer with placing tenants or forced to play a game with who can charge the least in the area.  

What I mean by this is the entire game of REI has now vaulted into the top 10-20% of W2 folks, but really the top 5% mainly the top 1-3%.

Now that I have skin in the game, I'm definitely feeling the policy decisions impact me more so than ever. 

AirBNB isn't the only game in town.You need to be on both at a bare minimum.

I'd also suspect that as an owner-occupant, one might be able to skirt strict STR laws, and rent out a primary in an extremely in-demand market, especially in the near-term (think collecting huge fees seasonally around CU football games the next few years). 

Focusing on areas that will appreciate well is super important, as equity down the line becomes a huge game changer when growing your portfolio.

We do lots of JV and have found that the best relationships are where everybody has "skin" in the game.

Randy  Thank you for sharing such valuable information—utilizing RentecDirect.com for streamlined tenant management and having go-to vendors for efficiency sounds like a game-changer.

Rel estate investing is a long term game.

You can hire an agent just to show and be a body if they are willing, While its not perfect, ChatGPT is a great tool to ask initial questions and get a launching pad (always verify what it tells you)  - @Drew Sygit - Good point about getting someone to help you with screening if they dont have any "skin in the game" so to speak.