hopefully something that can be set up online!

If you pay cash, you don't have a payment, but effectively you are giving up an income stream if the cash had been in a bond or ETF and earning you either interest or appreciation. 

Your goal is to get a tenant who can navigate an online portal for maintenance request and paying rent online.   

I also have $102k in a money market account that currently earns about 4.5%.

You will earn much more with a college degree than without and you will understand the world better.

Does anyone have any advice on a better strategy to earn interest with the cash flow being produced?

I'm not sure why you are so bothered by someone sharing their experience online. 

When reaching out, it helps to offer value in return—think about tasks like checking on properties when they can't, delivering materials, finding reliable contractors, or even handling basic project management tasks.Building genuine relationships and showing you're willing to contribute will go a long way in earning their trust and gaining hands-on experience.

@Tom Dieringer After purchasing my first property in 2024, I acquired most of my short-term rental (STR) knowledge from The Short Term Shop, which included maintaining respectful communication with guests, keeping calendar availability up-to-date, and ensuring high-quality listings.When I initially began May of 2024, I opted to list my property exclusively on a single Online Travel Agency (OTA) - Vrbo.

A recent article discusses how Bloomington is considering flexible zoning to support dorm-style units, aiming to provide housing solutions for residents earning 30% of the area median income (AMI). finance-commerce.comThe city has successfully added new rental units in the 50% and 60% AMI bands but faces challenges in creating units for the 30% AMI bracket due to financial constraints.