It seems like you've taken a lot of the steps to educate yourself and you're ready to take action.

I started my investing journey learning from BiggerPockets Forum as you are doing so I am always willing to help the action takers. 

Do not place yourself into a position of needing to sell in a reduced value environment. 

Here’s why Oklahoma might be a great market for you:Affordability: Properties in OKC and Tulsa are often under $200K and offer strong rent-to-price ratios.Landlord-Friendly: Simple tenant laws make managing rentals easier.Growing Economy: Job growth in energy, tech, and aerospace fuels rental demand.How to Evaluate Deals:Run the Numbers: Ensure positive cash flow, check cap rates (6–10%), and use tools like the BiggerPockets calculators.Find Deals: Network with local wholesalers or agents, and look for value-add opportunities in stable neighborhoods like Edmond (OKC) or Broken Arrow (Tulsa).Let me know if you’d like tips on analyzing properties or finding deals!

And this brings to mind @Collin Hays post recently on firing dynamic pricing:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/530/topics/1227948-i-fi...Timely and thoughtful, I'm still reflecting on it as there are actionable implications there.VRBO might not understand now.

Narrow your top cities, build a local team, and refine your financial analysis to position yourself for success.Good luck!

The decisions and actions you make today can lead to incredible long-term benefits, so it's great that you're starting now.A good starting point is connecting with a lender that aligns with your goals.

That means there is not really an effect on the debt to income ratio neither positive (income) or negative (loss) but rather simply making that payment  non issue. 

By letting the tenant know that while you hate what happened to her and the position it has put her in, you are not the right vehicle/organization to subsidize her. 

That can get you some money up front to continue to build your portfolio and it takes you out of being a landloard and puts you into the position of being the bank instead.