Ask to speak with some of their current owners and current/former tenants.

Generally speaking (I dont have any details about your situation), househacking is the best way in for people getting started.

Spending quality time with your kids and connecting with inspirational individuals are definitely enriching pursuits outside of real estate.

How have you found quality contractors that you continue to hire?

I use superhide for the walls, but don't mind paying extra for better quality trim, so much less of it gets used. 

IMO - focus on improving your cash flow, lowering your vacancy, limiting bad debt, and screening for high quality tenants.

The Midwest can be a great place to get good cash flow, but make sure you have quality management.

And after speaking with a lot of folks at BPCON2024 I’m realizing this is a niche that some of you in the community are very good at, but most of you, like me, know this is a need but don’t have a good solution. 

Can't speak to the organization in Michigan but generally the benefits of a well run STRA far outweigh the costs.I am a property manager in Hawaii so we are constantly being hit with new anti-STR legislation and have a large, well-funded hotel lobby to deal with constantly.

It sounds great, but it's all just words at this point - speaking from the experience as both an operator, broker, as well as someone that has experimented first hand with different tools.