@Leslie L Meneus you are trying to find a tribe of super freaks.Let me explain…Only 6% of Americans own one or more rental property.  

I am a voice of common sense and help them come up with the best way to manage STRs.

What would be the best way to go about it then?

I'm a contractor and currently building two houses on two lots that I own outright. The goal is to keep these for rentals.
I currently own the land personally and am funding the builds with a combination of HELOC and...

However, the best way to get a feel for rental rates compared to values is to review/underwrite properties in the area - only after reviewing/underwriting many will you begin to see a pattern.

Zandi said the added cost would be even greater for Americans with lower incomes or credit scores."

Getting one property and cashflowing it will be a challenge. you can try seller financing but you are still going to be highly levered which just enhances the risk that you are taking on.The best way to grow is to focus on managing your rental, saving money through your W2 and crushing that - if you are a realtor you will make more crushing it as being a realtor than over leveraging real estate - then save for down payment and buy slowly. its not a rush.

At the end of the day I would check with your attorney, but I ran this interesting question by my Title Rep @First American. 

I'm trying to analyze my first property and not sure how to set it up to run the number using the calculator tools here. 2 of the units are successful Airbnb short term rentals, and the other two units are month to mo...

One of the best ways to engage with the community is to remain active in these forums (reading & contributing).Setting up keyword alerts is a great way to get started.All the best!