Also 4th quarter of last year Packwood and county officially did discuss potentially regulating STR's by either limiting numbers or adding a tax to cover increases in local services that are needed. 

They’ll check if your property, zoned R5, allows a curb cut and ensure it meets zoning regulations.

I know a lot about the industry through my education, but have very little/no practical experience when it comes to managing investment properties. 

More deals are killed by procedure and regulations than anything else it seems. 

However, private financing options are becoming increasingly popular for scaling portfolios.Zoning and restrictions: As you mentioned, regulations for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, vary significantly.

@Cody Baum - Can you become an investor focused agent and get practice in real estate without it being your own money? 

If you have multiple LLCs, best practice would be having a Plus subscription.  

One tip: focus on areas with year-round demand and check local regulations early—they can make or break a deal. 

Big cities tend to have more regulations, more crime, more leftist-leaning policies that hurt investors and private property rights, etc.

I guess to get a definite answer I'll have to cold call to get see if all these people are behind on their payment or it's just a standard practice behind some salesmen!