But, more commonly, they bring in the capital, maybe do a site visit before closing, and ultimately just forward an investor email to the main operator, then forward the response to the investor.  

While I doubt I'll be investing here (terrified that property taxes and the pension debt will ultimately cripple property values), I'm always interested in meeting new people.

My wife and I were in analysis paralysis for sure, but then the academy dropped and we were sure we wanted to get into RE, but didn’t know how and this course was WAY cheaper than comps that ultimately just try and sell you a conference that just tries to sell you… on and on plus like you said, we got most of our money back and got to keep the material. 

Ultimately if we go down SFH route (and not rely on STR or MTR), it seems that we would have to buy multiple properties around median price point where the appreciation is most expected?

While not my main area of practice I represented a Brooklyn credit union lender, some buyers/sellers and a few landlords in real estate transactions and rent arrears cases.While we had successes and some failures along the way I ultimately concluded that I wanted to do something different with my life and cashed out of the business.

If not, ride out the 12 months with the hard money lender.People have to make good choices and not over extend themselves just for the sake of buying something they really can't afford or that doesn't make good cash flow.

Consult with competent legal counsel to guide you regardless of your choice here.

I have a separate short term rental insurance policy (insurance agent recommended short term policy over long term since it's ultimately being used as a short term rental) Curious if that is the same as the Airbnb $1M liability insurance or if they have a separate one

If you prefer a nicer home with future equity growth, White House might be the better choice.

If the community is well-managed and there’s good rental demand, a condo could be a solid choice.