I’m also open to exploring short-term rentals, private lending, or passive investing in funds—anything that maximizes returns while keeping risk and time commitments manageable.For context, I’d consider leaving my job if this could become a full-time venture that surpasses my current compensation (low-mid six figures).

Meaning you cannot just evict a tenant because their lease has expired.You will have to build sufficient evidence admissible in court and to the satisfaction of a judge to prove good cause to get a warrant of eviction.Many housing providers kept high risk tenants on month to month leases so that if the tenant stopped paying rent, you could simply give them a notice to vacate and recover possession of the rental unit that way.The reason for this methodology was because the HSTPA of 2019 passed in NYS made it extremely onerous and costly for housing providers to evict due to non payment.That method under good cause will be eliminated.So you can still keep tenants month to month but you will need to document the lease violation due to nonpayment rigorously.How many times and how late is “good” enough?

Get some gift funds to help with the down payment if you can.

Selling multiple properties in a 1031 exchange to consolidate funds for one investment property is allowed, but the property must initially be used solely for investment.This post does not create a CPA-Client relationship.

And never being “at risk” is it even sufficient to legally bind a seller?  

So either you pay for the repair out of the idle cash in your account, file an insurance claim and use those funds, or rollover/transfer funds from another retirement account to cover the cost. 

we did the first 3 in a 18 month period we used internal funds so no debt.. these were 350k to 400k all in projects.. so U need cash to be a spec builder or you need investors if you dont have cash..

Typically seasoning means that the funds have been in a bank account for a set amount of time (usually 60 days), so ANY lender should love that....I thought maybe you meant un-seasoned funds?

@Brady Bitter these funds have margin requirements. 

Trying to save $$ so I can prepare emergency funds in case of any major repairs etc .