I'm sure that you can find mentoring someplace else for much less. 

The renovation budget can be artificially inflated so you can have a "cash pillow" for maintenance or anything else really.The conventional loan for purchase and rehab is the most commonly used by investorsIf you have a company it is also possible to apply for loans but it is necessary to have at least 6 months of activity.

If your local law allows it, see what everyone else is doing and go by the norm. 3 months rent is a substantial amount for some, but really helps ensure the financial quality of a tenant.Sometimes I have immigrants who apply who work their tails off and can't afford the 3 months up front.

both the onboarding and the sales calls were great, and overall my lead quality is miles ahead of anything else I've received in the industry. 

Anything else is noise for me. 

Most "articles" these days are not articles or even real opinions, they are clickbait for memberships or something else.

There are seven tests, however the most relevant tests for STR investors include:Perform substantially all the work related to the activity.Participate over 500 hours during the tax year.Participate over 100 hours during the tax year and no one else participated more.If your property meets one of the exceptions above AND you meet one of the above tests, you can qualify to treat your rental activity as non-passive.

Not sure if you need to be licensed to use the service but its worth a peek.You might also consider paying someone else (relative, neighbor, etc.) who is trustworthy and can just open the door for the open houses. 

If it was my deal, I would: A: Ask to be GP or no dealOr B: Become a LP's in someone else's deal (you'll still get a good return) and then you can learn the ropes of syndication and real estateJust my 2-cents

@Alex Stepanov and anyone else reading along.