Hi - are there any scenarios in which mid-term rental income/losses can be considered as active income rather than passive, besides when one has REPS status?

Your best bet is to invest in growing areas that are landlord friendly and where you can either connect with or build a good team yourself- realtor, property managment, contractors, etc. 

The best bet is to talk to a small local bank (or three) about your options.

A local broker will be your best bet. 

So, we obtain a full credit report and review collections, chargeoffs, age of credit accounts, active accounts, etc. to build an overall credit evaluation.Public RecordsWe also obtain data from national databases about evictions, convictions and sex-offender histories.

If you are going to be active, and have high conviction in a project with a clearly defined entry/exit strategy then using a HELOC is one of the better sources of capital.But, I continue to have my stance that, on average, folks who use a HELOC to fund the down payment for long-term investments will eventually find themselves in a situation where their portfolios drain their personal financial situations, rather than fueling them. 

The best bet is to ask a local landlord attorney what is and isn't allowed in your area. 

Do you have a nice amount saved up for the activities you enjoy(I assume yes given a 30+ year in Tech plus you mentioning making lots of money already in real estate).If that is the case, what are you looking to achieve now within real estate?

So typically passive activity losses are grouped together and carried forward to offset other passive activity losses if your income is over 150k.

Networking with Local REI Groups: OKC has some active real estate investor groups where people often share leads and offer partnerships.