@Grant Shipman, I will say, I have not explicitly seen anyone violate these rules (that I know of), but more commonly there are a lot of people who have comfort operating at the margins.I.e. compliance officers/attorneys that stop at the letter of the law may say: "investment manager X, you can advertise your company all you want.  

Huge markup.Most people choose to do things the easy way.

Just make sure you’re comfortable with the interest rate if going either route.  

Choose my own real estate agent

The answer to this will come down to comfort level, funds available, and strategy you are looking to implement. 

We are in a safe community, so tenants can choose to leave the door unlocked or hide a key under the mat.

If you want more, you buy more at a pace that is comfortable for you.

That said, if you're comfortable with Shopify for now and not looking to go big right away, it could work.

If this endeavor doesn’t fully pan out, I’m comfortable treating it as a side project alongside my W-2 role.

It’s ideal for investors with some experience in real estate who are comfortable managing renovations and dealing with tenants.If you're a beginner, you might want to start with a simpler buy-and-hold strategy or partner with experienced investors who can guide you through the BRRRR process.