And if they are, what is this group doing to help YOU build a relationship with them versus everyone else who pays $500/mo.At the end of the day, real estate is nothing unique.

Establish connections with real estate brokers that focus on investment properties.Funding: Explore various funding options, such as partnerships, hard money lenders, private lenders, and conventional mortgages.Make use of your experience in building to precisely estimate repair costs and provide prospective lenders with well-prepared project proposals.Look into any grants or incentives that may be available to real estate investors on a local and federal level.Create a concise business strategy that outlines your objectives, both short- and long-term, target properties, and investment tactics.Remember, each real estate market is unique, so adapt your strategies based on your local conditions.

I feel like my situation is pretty unique and I'm hoping I can get some advice on how to navigate this situation!

There are some unique loan options available for STRs--feel free to use me as a resource for any lending questions! 

As far as your finances, if missed rent or vacancy would stretch you, it may not be in your best interest to hold onto it. 

Found a lender through the local community and leveraged one of their more unique products.

While the mix of business and friendship requires clear expectations and contracts, it offers a unique chance for collaboration with someone trustworthy.

Each market has unique seasonality, amenity expectations, operational challenges, etc.

While I have sufficient capital to undertake 1 or 2 flips at a time, the high cost of properties in the DMV area makes scaling challenging without resorting to interest-based financing.Is this feasible, or is it a stretch?

I would want on beach & something unique to it and pay the extrinsic.