If there is minor rehab (such as painting and cosmetic improvements) you can still close on a DSCR loan, however it may affect your appraised value, which could also affect your market rent if its a vacant property.

My plan for this year is improve my credit, get my real estate license (to increase my income on top of my W-2), possibly career transition into the property management space (to learn more), and save as much as possible and learn as much as I can.I’d love to house hack close to home but my area is so expensive it seems like it’d be close to impossible. 

I can say almost all my customers have worked into that 1% or better, but sometimes make take a few years with rent increases.My advice is to look for slightly older homes in non-HOA neighborhoods to improve your ROI.

But it's YOUR money, and Real Estate, to put it mildly, is a contact sport).Month 5: Deals & Network (15-18 hours/week)Submit first offersAttend 2-3 REI events monthlyBuild social media presenceKey Goal: First offer acceptedMonth 6: Scale & Automate (15-20 hours/week)Delegate initial tasksEstablish morning/evening routinesCreate follow-up systemsKey Goal: Sustainable weekly schedule🚫 Common Pitfalls to Avoid:Overcommitting earlyNeglecting W2 responsibilitiesSkipping system creationTaking on too many mentor calls✅ Success Markers:Consistent daily actionsGrowing networkClear systemsNo work conflictsSteady deal flowMaintained energy levels👉 Action Steps This Week:Audit your current scheduleBlock 2 hours dailyChoose your power hour (morning/evening)Set 30-day milestoneGeneral Comment:  obviously not everyone will follow these suggestions.  

Those are very very important to run the property cost-efficiently. 

Landscaping upgrades, exterior painting, new siding, a new roof, and upgraded front doors and windows can dramatically increase ARV by improving the home's exterior appearance.5.

I appreciate your energy and readiness to learn.

Unfortunately, real estate is pretty efficient, so high returns should scream to you high risk.  

Hey Tod, I took a very brief look at your first listing, airbnb.com/h/newport1bedroom, and the thing that jumps out at me as far as improving it is: address the 1-star review head on without attacking the reviewer.

Solar has an energy credit and Starlink is deductible as business expense.