@George SleweonREITs are a great vehicle for exposure to the real estate sector, but I would not quite call them a fill-in replacement for buy & hold, flipping, or commercial syndications.

I'm curious if the downturn in the oil and gas sector has started to affect the real estate market in the Houston area.

Rather than syndicating the equity as you're starting up, you might find a path forward in a JV structure with one of the emerging REPE groups that are already raising discretionary funds in this sector - Happy Camper Capital comes to mind - IF you find the right deals and combine them with a strong business plan + reasonable co-invest (typically 10% of the equity required - JV partner puts up the other 90%). 

But out of their ashes, we've risen, possessing a diversified economy of a constellation of companies largely made up of recession resistant sectors like education and healthcare.Some key stats:Employment rate across all sectors is up 1.54% which is well above the 10 year average of just 0.15% according to Oxford Economics.Also median household income is up 3.3% over the last 12 months which will continue to undergird rent price stability.

I think you're spot on to make your search focus on sector specific experience (a cpa who specializes in real estate investors). 

Prosperity does not equal leisure. 

As one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, Raleigh, NC, continues to attract attention for its dynamic economy, burgeoning tech sector, and vibrant cultural scene.

The appreciation in the market here is tremendous and the tourist sector is still breaking records even after COVID records were set. 

Can anyone recommend a course to take to get started in the STR sector?

From that background, it was clear that the recession-resistant multifamily sector was where I wanted to invest my family's money to get good returns with low risk.