I am financially free with ~$10-17k/mo cashflow.

The rent control in some cases is really unfair to the landlord as the percentage increases are virtually irrelevant when the rent is a small amount.

The FBI’s Financial Crimes Unit investigates these matters for filing of charges on Equity Skimming violations.

Your $30k should be your emergency fund and not used for new investments at this time.Consider talking to a CPA or financial advisor.

You actually want to INCREASE it.

The biggest challenge is a lack of quality homes and a rapidly increasing demand for vacation, second and primary homes.

I’m determined to reach financial freedom from a W-2 job by Dec. 2034.

Quote from @Basit Siddiqi: I personally would not buy real estate with a retirement account.There are just too many headaches that are not worth the potential increased return.Some headaches when it comes to investing in real estate with a retirement account1) LTV values are less and harder to find lenders.2) Potential to sell or partially distibute the property if you have to do a RMD(Required Minimum Distribution)3) If you run out of cash and have to make a major repair, you may be out of luck and have to sell.4) Having to potentially worry about UBTI(Unrelated Business Taxable Income)I would personally invest in stocks/bonds/notes with a retirement account.I buy deals with cash and use a ROTH SDIRA so there are no RMD's.I buy at huge discounts to retail.

@Placeholder PlaceholderOne word of caution I would advise: If a community or local government is enacting restrictions and also regularly enforcing them, then its often a reflection of the local community sentiment which increases the chance of a neighborhood or nearby resident calling you in if they think you may be running an STR.

Managing rentals isn’t for everyone, especially after dealing with bad tenants, challenging property managers, and increasing costs.