Me personally, I’d check the contract and try to meet with both the architect and contractor to find a solution. 

See if you can do meetups and meet experienced investors near your city and see if you can get onto  a Joint Venture to get feet wet

The VA is a meticulous about the condition of the property as well, so make sure it meets livability standards. 

(Joining local REIA meet up groups is a great way to network and be around like-minded people doing what you want to do).1.

I'm meeting with my accountant now.

Meet like-minded people and start building your own community of people who willingly share helpful informationAll the best!

Many small businesses that are home based need a business mailing address and the use of meeting space and an occasional office. 

I’m excited to be here and meet new people, learn about real estate investing, and hopefully share some success stories down the road!

On the tax side, I would encourage you to partner with a knowledgeable real estate CPA who can guide you through the transaction to ensure you can meet the qualifications of the STR loophole.

The best way to find the next good market is to find the hot ones near you and go two towns out in each direction and see which one is progressing more.