Just my personal opinion - get a mentor or a person who already has good experience running STR business, preferably in your area (but not 100% required). 

We have the people.

It's about to be your small business.

Typically to grow a real estate business and raise money you are better off partnering with someone.

I've never seen such a mismanaged business.

Well, this my opinion, if you like unpredictability, constant change and people/contractors with no regards to you or your property then "YES" flips and STRs are the way to go...LOL....I love it!!! 

Growth can kill a business just as quickly as poor cash flow. 

Lots of posts on different companies so be sure to check out what people have said about vendors you are considering doing business with.

If each property costs $200,000 and your only acquisition cost is a 25% down payment, you will need $850,000 (17 × $200,000 × 25%) in savings, an almost impossible amount for most people.

I'm a retired engineer and have been successfully using income from these houses to support my retirement without dipping into retirement savings.I'm transitioning my business from rentals to a franchise and would consider selling one of my houses (5 br/4 ba - the other houses my son while he's still attending).