I'm also considering finding a seller that would pay more than me to help my father-in-law out and perhaps get a wholesale commission that I could use on my next (ok, first) brrrr, but I'm not sure the best way to validate a fair price or know what a fair wholesale commission would be.

That's fair.

I am just starting out and have 1 STR.Would love hear the pros/cons that you took into consideration when deciding how you want to manage your STR.Self managing STR properties, from afar, while maintaining other employment, is only a possibility because of the new technology made available in the last 10 - 15 years.  

While leasing is the front door to maintaining a property’s occupancy, renewing tenants is the back door.

HELOCs are usually variable rate and there may be yearly fees associated with maintaining the HELOC.

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

Make sure you have a bulletproof lease, treat the tenant fair but set expectations early on.  

I'm a fairly new investor and was looking for some advice on what my next move should be if I want to build up a portfolio of STR's.

To thrive in real estate investing, you must maintain a firm grip on your finances.

I also have ~$20k that I've resigned for the scripted "mishap" that always comes up after purchase...lolI've read a number of other threads and I've seen a fair amount of talk about Ohio.