In my experience, it is worth simply reaching out to your realtor first. 

Ultimately, I wound up doing a 92-unit deal my first time around and realized that part of the reason I was struggling to win deals was simply because I lacked the credibility to be do so. 

We appreciate your support and understanding during this challenging time.A medical note attached simply says "1 year leave from school for medical reasons"Please advise on what is the best recourse in handling a situation like this?

I would start by finding areas you actually WANT to live and go from there.Picking a place to call home simply because it has a real estate market that you feel will fit your goals is a great way to end up miserable. 

But, yes, it sounds like simply looking at your numbers and determining whether or not you can absorb a salary is the time to consider it. 

So I never turned people away simply because they don't meet one or two criteria.

(Hands-off or hands-on.)I like STRs as a way to make money while you wait for a property to gain value, but at least for us, cash flow is simply the icing.

It's simply overwhelmingly nuts. 

There is a lot of variability in this answer and, like all things in real estate, it simply depends. 

The problem is: A traditionally financed low-down payment house-hack with traditional long-term rents simply won't cash flow during occupancy, or after, in many MCOL-HCOL markets in the US. 95% leverage at even 5.7% just won't work in a lot of cases right now.