Condos don't appreciate at the same rate as single family homes, and you are always a newly elected board away from STRs getting banned in your building. 

I am a professional photographer and have been doing that for the past 18 years, so I'll also be building my business in NC from the ground up!

Same goes for many apartment buildings offering MoveIn Specials.So, if it's slow-time winter or a property won't rent for another reason, why waste time worrying about why it works or how to avoid it?

Building a real estate portfolio might be attractive, but if you're crunched for time, perhaps you could do private lending in a SDIRA or get into syndications.

A standard "business owner's policy" is fine -- it covers the building, commercial general liability, and ideally, loss of rent. 

The contributions are lower so it takes a while to build, but once you do, it's tax-free investing. 

The general idea is that you must acquire an interest in real property you do not already own, and since you already own the subject real property you want to build on, the transaction must be structured so that you are creating an interest in real property you do not already own (in fact, it does not yet exist).

I do generally agree that once someone has their person, they are not going to be very open to switching. but if you can prove yourself with someone building that team, you may find yourself in a great position. 

This reduces your housing payment and helps you build equity. 

With the right mortgage broker by your side, you can navigate challenges confidently and focus on building your portfolio.