I feel like my "circle of people" really needs an expansion and improvement and I want someone with more experience in the field I want to be in to really help me gain myself to success!

You also have to be super detail-oriented, focused on continuous improvement regarding the property and guest experience, very in-touch with what it's like to be a guest at the property (and a cleaner of it as well), and focused on technological tools and opportunities. 

. -- Thus, you can expect to get Class C or D tenants, which have a 15-25% probability of defaulting on their lease payments.2) If your PMC is lowering FICO to 550, what are they doing to improve their screening in other areas?

Everyone focuses on the big cities, but I'm not a fan of that strategy.

Wealth Building: Paying off the first STR focuses on cash flow and financial security, while buying another property focuses on scaling and wealth building.

Focus on “scaling quickly.” 

A potential challenge with a HELOCs is they are based on the current appraised value of your home, not the improved value, so you would need to make sure you have enough accessible equity.

Focus on the numbers and the goals, not personal feelings.

Many, but not ALL are only focused on the commissions he/ she will earn and not focused, on your best interests.

Also, focus on 2 years of job/income stability.Class D Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, all cashflow with little, maybe even negative, relative rent & value appreciationVacancy Est: 20%+ should be used to cover nonpayment, evictions & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores under 560 (almost 30% probability of default), little to no good tradelines, lots of collections & chargeoffs, recent evictions.