Building a solid team is a smart priority, as real estate investing is much more efficient when you have a trusted group of professionals→ agents, contractors, lenders, who understand your goals and the local market.Your plan to own four long-term rentals in the next four years is both realistic and attainable, especially with the type of property you're targeting.

Networking with other professionals is crucial because it opens doors and provides insights that may not be apparent on the surface.Resilience is key, as market fluctuations and setbacks are inevitable, but those who adapt and learn from challenges come out stronger.

I'm new to being a landlord, and it's a little disheartening as this is my first tenant and I thought I was minimizing the risk of a bad tenant by renting to traveling professionals.

Save yourself the hassle and avoid these common pitfalls no matter how much you like the name or "professional" you believe the entities may appear.  

The professional tenants are everywhere and in CT, they'll win.

Allows buy low and get an inspection if possible Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

If you want to sleep on someone's sofa like it was when Airbnb started,  it's still cheaper than a hotel, LOL. 

Get 100 hours of participation to become a real estate professional.

I don't qualify as a real estate professional. 

Owners have options to use their preferred contractors or OneRent's contractors (handyman charges $65/hour).They screen tenants as 2.5x income/rent, and do 6 months walk through check.It sounds a professional management way.