I would love to learn from experienced ones who know the market and strategies.

Quote from @Ryan Marble: I'm just starting in the STR market in the Orlando and Tampa areas and was wondering what all of you experienced vacation rental investors would say are the 3 most important tips or advice to running a successful/profitable vacation rental in these areas?

I am currently, looking for an experienced investor to help me complete these projects. 

However, you can connect with a lot of experienced developers in real estate forums like BP or through LinkedIn.

To the experienced CA investors, where would you recommend they invest or other strategies?

For your client's cash-out refinance on an adult family home in Washington State, it would be helpful to reach out to lenders who specialize in DSCR loans, especially those experienced with unique property types like adult family homes.Contact Local Lenders: Start with local banks and credit unions in Washington that offer DSCR loans, as they may have specific programs tailored for adult family homes.

That being said they're not the cheapest, though I don't think anyone could argue that they're not one of the most experienced and best around. 

I would NEVER choose similar portfolio of REITs over those managed by experienced investors. 

And they're also correct about the difficulty in obtaining either without current income.

The best thing you can do is to work with a realtor / property manager who's experienced doing Section 8 rentals and have good contacts over at CMHA to help you when issues inevitably come up.The process can sometimes take 2-3 months, but there are other programs like EDEN that can go a lot faster.