I would love to see what most STR hosts purchase for insurance in comparison and what the expected premiums are.

This makes HML look cheap by comparison.

Our home prices in comparison to salary is near the worst in the nation (at least the Bay area has high salaries). 

Comparing it to what you're currently paying in rent is a much better comparison IMO. 

The comparison is, IF* one decides they do want to invest in real estate....where/how is the best way to do it.

Consider a rent comparison report to ensure competitive pricing.

Slow and steady still wins the race. 1- The reason I am looking more into scaling a real estate portfolio in comparison to my active income right now is because my active income isn't very scalable.

I want to access the equity in my home for other cash flowing assets w/goals of maximizing the spread btwn the interest I'm paying on the HELOC and the interest I'm earning on the asset.One major downside is most HELOCs are adjustable rate, and I'm certain rates will be increasing even more in the near future, so finding a bank that has a rate-lock option is my hedge.I've looked into this strategy a lot, seen the comparison numbers, and am still looking into different utilization strategies. 

I get asked often about the difference between DSTs and 1031s, so I wrote up this quick comparison.

@Kyle Pierrehumbert in addition to checking out the Zillow suggested rent, what comparison did you do between your property and nearby competition?