I've had my fill of gurus peddling dreams for the price of a small island nation, and I refuse to sit idly by, twiddling my thumbs while life passes me by.So, here I am, dear reader, baring my soul and begging for guidance.

I am sitting in my STR on Dauphin Island as I am typing this. 

Renting out a room, pet sitting, freelance gigs, and exploring opportunities in real estate wholesaling are all good suggestions for generating additional income.

As a side note: my family owns my childhood home that sits on a lot that is zoned for multiple homes.

And how does your cash flow sit when your renters don't make payment?

After a few years of sitting on the sideline with regard to investing in real estate, I think I'm finally ready to get this show on the road. 

The contracto I used needed baby sitting and the attention to detail was lacking so half way through the reno I was more particular and communicated my expectations clearly and ofter Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

I haven't seen one apartment deal work. most are covered land plays for redevelopment. you can buy performing assets that sit on plots of land that can be upzoned.

BP wrote an article addressing this (don't recall where).

VS the person who used that $350k, putting $100k down on 3 properties, $50k sitting in contingency.