Its certainly not "guaranteed return" - thats a word to always stay away from in real estate (in finance or even investing in general)high level - its because HMLs are going to be secured by the real estate, meaning in event of default, the lender can get the property to be made whole - somewhat trust is involved, but thats the main mechanism behind it

Instead of paying 1250$ a month and staying in my current home I can pay 977$ per month and have an additional 4br/2 bath property. 

When you are new as an investor, you also don't want to work with a new agent (you).Overall, I think a RE license is good for access (to homes to get reps and to the MLS) and I think the course itself is way more valuable for investors than agents (most just stay in residential and don't need to use all the weird stuff you learn).

We stay there about 1 week a month and do STR the rest of the time. 

I wish I had even half your discipline when I was 16.

Makes an amazing shot of espresso, and pretty much idiot proof so long as you have your cleaner stay on top of the cleaning and maintenance.

Stayed the same?

If possible I would try to stay within an hour drive of one of these places.

So many just stayed away from it and its really just been in the last 10-20 years that that has started to really change and take hold in the architectural profession.

In my own experience, Section 8 tenants tend to stay longer, and fewer vacancies mean less turnover cost and hassle, which is a huge win.Section 8 isn’t for everyone, but if you want reliable cash flow and are willing to do the upfront work, it can be a great way to invest in rental properties.