Hi BiggerPockets Community,I’m Josh, 26 years old, current project manager and aspiring asset manager diving into a new venture that I’m excited to share.

If you're looking for strong cash flow, the Midwest—places like Ohio or Detroit—can be great options due to lower property prices and higher rent-to-price ratios.On the other hand, higher appreciation markets, such as California, come with higher entry costs but often provide significant equity growth, even in the short term, if you buy wisely.If you're considering short-term rentals (STRs), your focus should be on factors like occupancy rates, average nightly rates, and regulations in the area.

To the nuts and bolt question of what defines occupancy, it is the place you reside and spend the majority of your time/nights.

I would prefer 4, but I have to make the numbers make sense for me and my current financial position.I attended a webinar last night from a veteran who's been in real estate for years and understands use of the VA loan.

Maybe you’ll sleep better at night.  

No active projects yet, but I’m gearing up to dive into multifamily properties, ideally 16+ units, with a focus on creative financing and NOI optimization.

This is the “over night” success that’s taken 20 years.2 - Superior uncommon knowledge, combined with experience and capital and a willingness to take a risk (speculate).  

Let me know if you want to dive deeper into crafting your strategy or preparing for potential questions!

But fly by night note funds coming out of the woodworks to capitalize on this "high" rate environment by creating note investment "funds" that really had terrible ways of raising capital and minute chance by real estate, and promising something egregious like 15-20% +.

No one here is going to ask you to publicly share your income as a physician or dive into all the specifics required to give meaningful guidance.