The very basics would be getting your furniture and shopping list together, keyless entry like Schlage (with backup lockbox with physical key very close as well), looking into insurance, local taxes for STRs, and moreAlot of ways to save time and make it easier to self manage with a property management software like Hospitable and data research like AirDNA.

You bring up an excellent point about the trade-offs between second home and investment property loans.

I then created an excel sheet with those estimates to know (a) what to offer for land to make my numbers and (b) to hold the sub to what they estimated for me.  

@Carrie Young Excellent analysis.

You need to stay strong physically and mentally, and I sincerely hope you will figure a way out.If the property is located in a not very safe area, at least try to install some security camera system that works when you are not there.

My goal is to maintain good relation with tenants and have excellent communication.

It’s great to have you here, and it sounds like you’re in an excellent position to start your real estate investing journey.

The course came with PDF texts (not books) and a very lengthy excel sheet to memorize and tackle on my own.

If you have just one unit it's not too hard to keep track of payments, you can do it for free in Excel or Google Sheets, you just have to stay on top of it.

I would like to pass on a little bit of useful information for anybody thinking of converting their permit over to owner-builder. 1 - You will not be able to sell the property for a minimum of 365 days from the date of issuing of the CO. 2 - The property must be for the owner's own use and occupancy and not for sale or lease which means you will not be able to rent it out. 3 - The owner-builder must ensure that all employees working on the project have the required licenses.4 - The owner-builder must provide worker's compensation as required by Florida law.5 - To apply for the owner builder permit, you must physical visit the building department.There are others requirements and conditions, however these are the main items.