Lol, I'm  not sure i was very helpful, more anecdotal lol.I learned to estimate from other contractors many years ago.I found labor unit books from college bookstores.

Quote from @Ray Joseph: If you attend a local meetup, I'm sure you'll find investors that operate in other cities or states.And you have thousands of out-of-state investors to mingle with right here!

Start small and learn and grow.

I'm not sure I'd want to go past 10 STRs ever and I'm trying to decide if it's worth Co-Hosting or just save up for the next one.

I'm sure I could go to some midwest markets or even some more depressed markets in my region and get better pricing, but that's out of my wheelhouse at this point in my life as I have no desire to learn new markets when I'm closer to the end than the beginning. .Sure, obvious but over looked.

I'm not sure there are any with joined dates older than yours still on the site! 

Why ask: A mentor who is actively involved in the market is more likely to offer relevant, real-time insights, strategies, and lessons learned.

Still lots of work to do on the house and the “book” I still have to figure out what to do for it (paper/digital/both), and a few more things I probably am not yet aware of … reading on this forum and asking questions sure has helped out a lot.

While I’m new to the business, I’m eager to learn, grow, and connect with local investors, landlords, and fellow real estate professionals.

A great place to learn and research.