Because of my savings and lack of expenses, I'm in a very comfortable position to make my first move, but because my income is mid, I'm unable to meet the Debt-to-Income requirements to qualify.

Love it.Best advice I can tell you is to prospect prospect, you must lead generate, meet people tell them what you do, preferably face to face, but also on the phone, online etc, albeit I prefer and spent most of my time on face to face meeting and conversation.

This would be the safest approach but also, anyone that is worried or has extra strict oversight in their area could simply avoid anything alcohol related in their packages.

You can also check meetup.com or search Facebook for real estate investment groups, clubs, or meetings in your area.You're feeling FOMO because you see people all over BP, YouTube, and Instagram bragging about their success.

If your goal is to help your mom, you can purchase a property for her through a 1031 exchange and rent it to her at fair market value to meet IRS guidelines.

To provide our buyers the greatest probability for success, we cast a wide net to evaluate ALL vacation rental prospects and narrow it down to the handful that meet the search criteria. 

Find a deal that meets that criteria and talk to local hard money lenders. 

Sort of a unique way to make money, meet new people and not get stuck with a tenant you don’t like for too long!

For example, what is the current zoning - does it meet your needs?

For sure it is a huge safetly net if you can get it, but strictly applied, seems many of us would be out of business.