This factoring includes the presence of competent contractors who can limit unforeseen surprises and costs.Myth 2: They're Too Risky to Invest InThere is risk in any investment; however, distressed properties are not inherently riskier than any other real estate investment.

I plan on starting out next year with a small plug and play solution to have minimum risk.

Anyways, I might take advantage of the free trial.

Because real estate always goes up and the maintenance fairy takes care of all repairs free of charge.Seems like a recipe for disaster. 

Since you're in Destin, you might want to check with local firms that have experience with STR-heavy communities, as they’ll be familiar with the risks and requirements.

Landlords can easily do it without a mortgage but they are taking a huge risk.

I think with the time you’ll spend working on this, you could find 2-3 existing parks to buy in the meantime and not need to take anywhere near the same risk  

When you buy a property at a time, the risk from the uncertainty is small.

I definitely want to continue in my field—not just because I enjoy it, but also because it allows me to keep investing without dipping into the cash flow from my soon to be units.

Your income isn't high enough for it to make sense as a rental and the closer you get to your residence limit the greater pressure you will have to sell it before losing your exclusion in whole or part. 500k right now can make $15k per year income with zero maintenance or tenant risks.