Hi John,Welcome to the community!

Hi Jon from Boyertown, PA-You and your fiancé are interested in buying your first short-term rental and wonder profitable areas to purchase with a budget up to $500,000.I would look at places along the west coast of Michigan, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and near Ann Arbor, MI.It is important to understand the local STR regulations in each community and partner with a property management company that can help your navigate that and manage it well for an excellent guest experience.Don't forget to look into bonus depreciation and doing a cost segregation study to increase the tax benefits of ownership and if you "materially participate" in the management of the property per IRS guidelines it can offset active W-2 income which most real estate cannot.To Your Success!

If they do, your best bet is a local community bank that funds these types of properties.Another option is a private lender but that money will be pretty expensive, as mentioned 10%  + 

By leveraging shared housing, you can:✅ Lower your initial investment✅ Maximize cash flow✅ Reduce financial risk✅ Make better deals for investorsQuestions for the Community-What's your initial thoughts on the above? 

I've had a long career in community development and have a lot of bank contacts that would likely be interested in investing, but I'd need to prove the concept first with an initial fund (there are also a lot of other community development tools that could be leveraged to maximize and scale this).

., I think there's a lot to building a "community" like feel for your tenants that may include events, giveaways, etc., to get them to engage with you and elevate their living experience.  

Why Part of a Good Deal is Better Than 100% of No DealHey BiggerPockets Community,As real estate investors, we all want the perfect deal—the one where we control everything, make the most money, and have the best terms.

Glad to have you as part of this community, Brett! 

I've already been hearing about all the communities and mini cities that they are planning on opening around it as well.

From the public website,The BetterLife Tribe program offers everything you need to achieve real estate success:Monthly Calls with Brandon Turner and top real estate experts, providing you with insider knowledge and strategies.1-on-1 Personalized Coaching to tailor a growth plan specific to your goals and challenges.Access to the reiOS System of Success, the exact operating system Brandon used to scale Open Door Capital to over $1B in assets.World-Class Real Estate Education and Tools that equip you with the skills to dominate any market.A Thriving Network of 1,000+ Active Investors ready to support, inspire, and challenge you on your journey.Seems like a great program like many do in the marketing materials