But, I had a vision, and I had a decent chunk of capital to start with (don't worry, that didn't last).

I am not even stating your deceptive post was intentional but with you not owning up to the expenses that were not included, I am starting to question if for some reason you intentionally posted numbers that did not depict all expenses.I want people to post corrections to such erroneous posts with so that newbies do not see similar numbers and think that the referenced property is good cash flow.  

And after several years you start doing cash out refinances.....If you can refinance one property every 1-2 years and withdraw $200k of equity....that's not taxable. 

Starting your first Airbnb?

Go to GET STARTED > EVENTS AND MEETUPS at the top of your screen.

Start by networking through local meetups, REIA groups, and online communities like BiggerPockets to connect with experienced investors.

Quote from @Daniel Tanasa: Hello Terry, If you're looking to find houses that are in pre-foreclousure you can use a website like www.foreclosure.com and you can get the list of properties and start marketing to them. 

Quote from @Alex Spivey: I want to start renting as soon as I can so does anyone have adviceYou want to find a place to rent and occupy, or you want to buy an investment that you can rent to others?

Or what are other tips to start gaining traction from the beginning? 

Then you can start to figure out the best course of action.