-A handful of tenants asking for rent to be canceled in April who paid later that month.

STRs require more hands-on management, but it’s a viable option for reducing your taxable income without needing REPS.You might also consider a cost segregation study to accelerate depreciation on the rental, creating larger upfront paper losses.

I've been diving into real estate for about 10 years now, starting with reading all the books I could get my hands on.

If they can't do a money transfer directly to your bank, have them send a certified cheque using registered mail and signature required (they could send it to your work if you don't want to use your home address). 

There are a few highly rated HipCamp hosts in our area that have 'U-Pick' farms of produce and/or petting zoo type animals, and they've added a handful of RV sites to go along with it.  

Hi Scott, are you looking to be a passive or hands-on real estate investor?

On the other hand, if you invest $50,000 as a down payment on each of four properties, with a monthly mortgage payment of $1,000 on each property, you could potentially earn $500 per property or $2,000 monthly.

If you're just looking to fund a handful of deals a year you  may be OK (consult an attorney) but definitely do your due diligence.  

But I never understand why someone hands over 10k before a job even starts.

Someone that has to ask the question will typically be best served by having an agent represent them and hold their hand.