How does one define design choices, etc?

The first step is to define clear goals and objectives.

Building a network here can open doors to partnerships, mentorships, and local insights.3.Explore the Blogs and Podcasts: BiggerPockets has tons of content—blogs, podcasts, webinars—that cover everything from beginner strategies to advanced investment tactics.4.Utilize the Deal Analysis Tools: If you’re considering an investment, the deal analysis calculators are invaluable for running numbers and understanding potential returns.5.Set Clear Goals: Define what you want to achieve, whether it’s learning a specific strategy or connecting with certain types of investors.

If not, you will want to be sure to define your own deal preferences and risk tolerance.

Quote from @Virginia VanOeveren: To start as a private money lender, educate yourself on real estate investing and lending practices, define clear loan criteria, and conduct thorough due diligence on borrowers and properties.

It is pushed over and over and over, especially on social channels and from service providers, and often interchanged with other terms and defined differently constantly, but mentioned again and again. 

I would define a wealthy person in America as $300,000+ annual income and at least $3 million net worth.

but, it's not going to be "profitable" for several years, depending on how you define profit.you'll have a down payment, then closing costs - which new investors always seem to be shocked by - then potentially some costs to get a property rent ready, then you'll pay a month's rent to get it listed and rented out, then you'll likely have some repairs after the tenant moves in.  

The IRS defines a “quality” cost segregation study as “a study that is both accurate and well documented with regard to” 1) the classification of property into classes, 2) Explanation of rationale for the classification of the property and 3) substantiation of the cost basis of each asset and reconciliation of the total allocated costs to total actual costs.

Maybe we're defining pent-up demand differently.