The risk becomes exponentially higher if the "guardrail" team members are not there to help advise, but know that any additional party involved who is weighing in on a particular deal can hamper the need for speed in cases where wholesalers may not wait for your financed offer with an inspection.

I actually had to get enough units where I could offer tenants multiple housing options when I purchased properties rented at way under market rates and then (an embarassing number of times) personally watch tenants that would "suffer" from a rent increase turn down smaller (but nicer places) or  nicer places in a less prestigious zip code (sometimes only minutes away) before I realized that I was hampering my ability to earn a living in order to subsidize the lifestyle choices made by a some random stranger that happened to live in a property I bought.

While I do like new build for new investors because you get a builder's warranty, better insurance, and first take of renters, you may have to overpay right now which could hamper the scale of your investment.

I was hampered by the fact that I'm in the process of using another card to cover a homes renovation and I haven't refinanced out a paid down that existing debt.

And if so, what is the cost and prospect for collecting something, certainly not all, but something.My thinking is that if it shows up on their credit, it may hamper employment, car purchases, rental applications, education funding, etc and at some point they would need to pay me to go forward with some major life steps over the next 10 years.

I would never go with a two year lease at a discount, it doesn't keep them tied to the property and it hampers you if a good tenant goes bad.

Im not a fan of regulation nor hampering STR operators.

Maybe its just my market, but its still a strong seller's market, just prices hampered by mortgage rates which have just recently come down a bunch...Does your friend have a place to go?

The faster you build up your direct booking presence, the less you'll be hampered by this.

What you don't want to happen is constantly feeding a property in cash infusions with issues states away that is hampering the growth you could be doing locally building a portfolio.