It is a good loan product if there isn't another option, but it is time intensive.

It's very time intensive, a lot of repairing and replacing the same things over and over.  

There is a lot of opportunity, but there is also intense competition to source the right projects.For the most part, you'll be extremely lucky if you find something on the MLS, or realtor.com, or any other site you use priced well enough for it to be worth your time and money in the project. 

Rocket's retail division is on the higher end of the scale because they have super bowl commercials and basketball stadiums to fund.

I know Hillsboro would do well especially during the basketball season and people are always traveling to Oregon for business trips. 

But my understanding is that they are a pretty intense process. 

Buying real estate is very cash intensive. 

Although real estate will generate higher returns, you have two factors that must be considered:(1) Operational Intensity / Involvement - you need to do showings, coordinate repairs, etc.

We use sites like sabbatical homes, furnished finder, and FB marketplace to find quality tenants who want to stay for a month or 2 or 3, and we charge the same rate as an STR but find it to be less management intensive, higher occupancy rate and less work than an STR.

Real Estate is a legal intensive business.