Am I approaching this the right way, or am I missing a better alternative?

There are alternatives rather than become a squatter and not pay and screw the landlords who work hard for their money / keep.

Are 1-bedroom units more popular than studios or 2-bedrooms?

In no particular order I have listed some of the most popular markets for out of state investorsCincinnati, OhioDayton, OhioToledo, OhioYoungstown, OhioCincinnati, OhioMemphis, TennesseeSaint Louis, MissouriIndianapolis, IndianaDetroit, MichiganErie, PennsylvaniaLouisville, KentuckyMilwaukee, WisconsinJackson, MississippiEach of these markets is popular with turnkey investors because of the low barrier to entry, high rental demand & high rent to price ratio.

The cabin sits within a 15-20 minute drive of most popular activities that RRG has to offer.

The alternative I had pursued the last two years was hard money lending.

Given the competitiveness in Scottsdale, exploring duplexes or triplexes might be a more feasible alternative to larger multi-family units.

Alternatives to ConsiderIf you want to involve an entity for liability protection or other reasons, here are some potential approaches:Assume in Personal Name and Transfer to Entity:Assume the loan in your personal name and later transfer the property title to an entity.Important: Transferring title may violate the loan’s due-on-sale clause unless explicitly allowed by the lender.

An other alternative is VaultLocks keybox that allows for a temp.

That’s huge when you’re investing from out of state, because it means less hassle and more reliable returns.Turnkey properties are super popular here because they’re ready to go right away.