Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

In my opinion, you have to establish your own investment objectives. 

For that time frame it would not make sense to turn it into a STR as there won't be enough time to establish a history to attract good vacationers.

Even with a great opportunity, trust is the foundation of any partnership.In my partnership, we had already worked together on multiple deals—me as the agent and him as the investor buyer—so we had established a strong foundation of trust.

Cincinnati has more history and an established feel, while Columbus is growing fast and has a lot of energy.

While I believe I operated with many of these strategies and tactics EVENTUALLY, I spent a long time “spinning my wheels” early on when trying to negotiate before establishing a rapport.  

Establish a relationship with an investment-friendly realtor. 

It's encouraging to see someone else in the same boat.I also live in Washington and have been thinking about establishing a community investment group.

If you want to establish a long term relationship with someone who lives eats and sleeps creative financing and loan products - I recommend getting in touch with a well-versed broker who manage the relationship and introduce you to competitive products in the market.

Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.