Plus equity growth would fund the down payment for second property through a HELOC.

Holding EXEMPT (from bankruptcy forfeiture) assets, holding assets in exempt entities (retirement accounts, pensions, IRAs, in some states insurance and annuities), homestead exemption, remote entity protection (LLC, Serial LLC, Corporations, Limited Partnerships,) Asset Protection Trusts, using separation of assets for married individuals (in certain states) charitable remainder trust, etc. can be very effective though can be costly. 

Focus on keeping your family happy and find another means of funding your investment.

While I manage my expenses responsibly, I don’t have a significant amount of capital leftover each month to invest in holding properties or funding larger ventures.That’s why I’ve been exploring wholesaling as a potential entry point into real estate—it seems like a feasible way to build up the necessary capital while learning more about the market and the process.

Do you have any other involvement other than providing funds? 

They seem to do a lot of rehypothetication loans for many funds that I buy loans from.  

Low 7s is probably the right range right now, however we are still funding a good amount in the sixes range right now as well.Many thanks for any insights & guidance.Tim 

Does it go down like a traditional mortgage (funds requested at closing, checks written, etc), or do they hand over the funds to your account beforehand so you can put the money up as if it is cash?

Build an emergency fund to cover unexpected costs, and ensure you can manage the mortgage without STR income if needed.

And still, for others, the answer may be to relocate the funds to another market and purchase additional properties.