Good for you for staying ahead of the game 

New game room, backyard turf , new appliances , paint , etc What was the outcome?

Propose starting small, like a single-family rental or house hack, with a clear, low-risk plan to minimize concerns.Leverage your industry connections and offer to handle the initial responsibilities, demonstrating your commitment and capability.

They also like to acquire MHP with higher vacancy/ vacant pads (not sure what the industry standard is).

That shows real estate can be possible for anyone; in my opinion, I know everyone has unique and challenging situations, but in principle, anyone who can follow some basic budget fundamentals can save up enough for a down payment.Grateful BiggerPockets continues to bring more people into the industry!

You are ahead of the game. 

Here’s why lease options are a game-changer:🔹 Low Risk, High Leverage – Instead of buying a property outright, you lease it with the option to purchase later.

Quote from @Michael Baum: Hey @David Rutledge, the purchase of a small hotel is a very different animal than SFHs for STRs.Like @Luke Carl said, you will have to have some significant skin in the game.

Investment property (not primary residence) It's the industry standard if you're not going to live there.

This gets you in the game with minimal upfront costs.Covering the Smaller Costs (Inspections, Appraisals, Earnest Money, etc.)Even when using other people’s money, you’ll need some cash for earnest money deposits, inspections, and carrying costs.