I would get back to local real estate investor meetups so you can connect with locals to the area and kind of get back in the game slowly that way.

This is a numbers game so you may have to take an aggressive approach towards negotiating several deals before one of them actually works out.

However, private financing options are becoming increasingly popular for scaling portfolios.Zoning and restrictions: As you mentioned, regulations for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb, vary significantly.

What tools or strategies are you using to stay ahead of the game?

Keeping everyone aligned—lenders, inspectors, attorneys—prevents bottlenecks that could derail the timeline.Lastly, tackling big tasks early (like ordering inspections or raising equity) is a game-changer.

My COC return will vary depending on my out of pocket cash.

When I looked at prices recently they look like they've gone up quite a bit but I know they vary a lot depending on the neighborhood. 

I'd have to guess that it varies from person to person.

Definitely not clueless just watching the game from the sidelines.

I've included an example below to help illustrate this.So different lenders have different rates (which do vary even for DSCR loans) but these are factors they all consider.See example below:DSCR < 1Principal + Interest = $1,700Taxes = $350, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $50Total PITIA = $2200Rent = $2000DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2000/2200 = 0.91Since the DSCR is 0.91, we know the expenses are greater than the income of the property.DSCR >1Principal + Interest = $1,500Taxes = $250, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $25Total PITIA = $1875 Rent = $2300DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2300/1875 = 1.23If a purchase, you also generally need reserves / savings to show you have 3-6 month payments of PITIA (principal / interest (mortgage payment), property taxes and insurance and HOA (if applicable).