I am currently in the planning phase of my real estate investment journey and had a few questions I’d like to ask someone more experienced.Would it be smarter to focus on paying down my own mortgage and then use a HELOC as a down payment for my first investment property, or should I simply use my savings for the down payment instead?

If you have a local real estate agent you work with, having them do some market analysis for you would be a good place to start.

.-- But the real nail in the coffin could come in the Colorado legislature which is considering reclassifying STRs as commercial property for property tax purposes.

Can this person now be "a real estate" professional? 

Investment Info:Single-family residence fix & flip investment.

One didn't make your list.1) I see people all the time raising money for real estate deals but they call it a partnership either because they are ignorant of the law or they are trying to avoid paying for all the legal work. 

Airbnb, booking.com, VRBO, TripAdvisor Flip Key.

The 80/20 rule applies to most things in life but in Portland real estate it’s more like the 90/10 rule...10% of the agents do 90% of the work.

Here is a newly created resource on BiggerPockets, which touches out cost segregation, accelerated depreciation, bonus depreciation, depreciation recapture, Real Estate Professional Status (REPS), STR Loophole / STR Strategy, example properties, and more. 

How to Start Investing in Real Estate in 2025 (ZERO Experience)Good luck, Tyler!