But I have a very low opinion of guru types (high priced, lots of upselling, big promises, selling a life style in their ads more than information, etc.) 

There is WAY to do this... a ... style... dance almost!

You can do a search for your local area to find photo prints of local landmarks and also by color, style, medium etc.

Perhaps thinking of a  modular style home to get it up and running quickly.

Personally I love reading that isn't a school-style textbook and when its about putting things into practice, I'm all for it!

Hello BP community:I am under contract on some land that I am considering building multifamily on.It appears I can build approximately 80 units on the land (based on permitted density), which could be more or less units depending on the exact style of units we would construct (one or two story, etc).

You can still find some great cottage style homes or even 2-4 units close to the beach that have great STR returns.One good thing about being out of state in IL is you can find a good Single family home, Condo, or Townhome and call it a Vacation home and only need 10% down. 

@Adolphus Fletcher Like others have mentioned, gaining a non-recourse loan is a challenge unless in some cases where the loan is a commercial style loan of $5MM+ and the borrowing entity has strong income & assets to satisfy the lender's concern tied to the guarantee of the loan.

WE have very different styles I like interacting on BP  she has never been on the site and has zero interest.

They pay on time, the place I'm sure is causing roaches and mice for other units due to their living style, with the garbage and hording etc.