Sounds like you're in a great industry with flexibility and the determination to hit your goals!! 

I am interested in starting with short term rentals to reach financial freedom and flexibility.

Personally I have thought buying in mixed use zoning could be an interesting opportunity as you can use it for residential or commercial and having that flexibility of commercial property with 5% down if you live in for a while and it seems like a potentially good idea in some areas.

The other option I would consider is regional credit unions that hold onto mortgages/loans and don't sell them to the secondary market - they are "portfolio lenders" and have the ability to be more flexible with their terms.

For under $300k, both shipping containers and modular homes can be great options—modular might offer a bit more flexibility with design. 

It’s common to hit some hurdles with traditional lenders, especially when LTV requirements are strict or when cash flow doesn’t align with standard underwriting practices.If you're looking to refinance quickly and pull out cash, private lenders might be more flexible with both LTV and the cash-out process.

So my point would be that the appraised value isn't always equal to actual value on a purchase appraisal.If everyone is month to month you have a lot of flexibility to go back to them and say, "Hey, we just got the property tax increase for the year and this will necessitate an increase in rent to $X,XXX/ month.  

HI Ryan,Personally I recommend just sticking with hard money,It gives you flexibility on the acquisition price, liquidity and a line of credit to fund your rehab.

Hey @Glenn Larson  You’re right, seller financing really depends on the seller’s flexibility and the specifics of the deal, but I can give you a couple of typical structures to think about:Interest-only payments: In this setup, you pay the seller interest on the loan without paying down the principal right away, giving you time to stabilize the property or improve cash flow before paying it off or refinancing.Balloon payment: You might negotiate a lower monthly payment (possibly interest-only) with a balloon payment due after 5-10 years.

Investor loan programs are available on flexible terms.