Suggestions like driving by the houses weekly are silly, such trips serve no legitimate business purpose. 

Your suggestion would be considered a negative cash flow investment.

Since I work pretty hard at my day job and don’t have much renovation experience, I wanted something simple—a rental I could put a tenant in and at least break even.

My suggestion would be to buy a place to be a mid term rental and experiment with short term during the vacancy gaps. 

Start simple or go all in on a multifamily if you have the capital to support potential losses.

Contractor is suggesting laminate sheet goods for entire floor. 

Here are a few suggestions on how you can maximize the wealth of information available: Check out the blogs and podcasts, or take advantage of the search feature (magnifying glass).

I'm curious to know how often property managers actively suggest value-add activities for properties (ie, building an ADU, remodeling, buy-fix-hold opportunities etc etc). 

Tools like QuickBooks or even a simple spreadsheet can help you mentain compliance and prepare for audits.Reinvest WiselyScaling a short-term rental business often requires reinvestment in marketing, property upgrades, or even hiring help.

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.