I moved to the Sarasota area last year, and have been impressed by the REIA meetings here.

I am now 29 and wanting to grow at a faster rate- and also ensure that I am making smart moves, rather than just grasping at whatever a bank will give me.

We have only 2 criteria for the order we process applications: 1) nearest move in to the date unit is available to be rented 2) order that the completed applications are received.If we had a unit for rent that would be rent ready Jan 15 and have multiple applications, the application processed first is the one who can move in the fewest days after Jan 15.  

.• Building Relationships and Generating Leads: Active engagement—through thoughtful comments, sharing actionable insights, and starting targeted conversations—has been key for me.

We are just starting to research and plan for a move out to the southeast somewhere, still in early planning phase. 

if you want to move to a LCOL market and house hack there, that's great. 

Strategic pricing and market positioning were key factors in increasing the property’s value.

The STR market has many more moving parts than the LTR side of it And inherent risk comes with each of those parts.One big thing to consider is the property management, etc...

The key for me wasn't to invest in the 'best place' but to know a market so well that a deal jumps off the page when it appears.

Here are the key details of my situation:Rental Property Details (Note: This was our primary home till 2017):Current Value: $970,000 to $1MPrimary Mortgage Loan Balance: $505,000 (@ 2.6%)Took Home Equity Loan on this house to make down payment for my current primary residence.Home Equity Loan Balance: $123,000Total Loan Balance: $628K (Primary Mortgage + Home Equity Loan)Rental Status: OccupiedPrimary Residence:Purchased in 2022Mortgage Rate: 7.3%Current Loan Balance: $650KMy goal for 2025 is 2 fold: #1.