Nothing wrong with LTR's - but what I like most about STR's is you are (usually) operating in better appreciating submarkets. 

He knows we plan on continuing to grow our portfolio.

Although I don't have much experience in this field yet, I am passionate about real estate and hope to continuously learn and grow in this industry.

And its always been a 2 inch trigger to start , we start at 2 inches and continue thru out the storm . 

I have LTR’s in Akron, I will continue to buy more.

Two, you'll have a much easier time obtaining a mortgage product if you have a track record of W2 income.In the meantime, continue implementing the strategies you mentioned: save religiously, build your credit, pay any existing debt owed, etc.

Which is also one of the 3 fundamental needs of a business most often (customers, product/service, place of operation). 

I've had one recent multifamily deal in Florida exit with a 32% IRR and one hotel deal in Atlanta refinance and return 110% of the original invested capital through dividends and the refinance and the hotel continues to make regular 16% distributions.  

A property management company cannot operate using the logic that it hasn't been that cold yet.

That is how I've operated for years, well before the NAR fiasco and as agents, we have always been advised from referring to status quo, standard, typical, etc when it relates to commissions.It continues to amaze me how many buyers/investors believe the agent value is finding them "deals."