Hard money loans are popular for covering both purchase and renovation costs, though they come with higher interest rates.

Probably the most popular person who talks about it is Clint coons and Toby Mathis on their YouTube channel.

Mainly I’m trying to avoid “aged poorly design” glassblock walls, small bedrooms, older windows (wood/aluminum, single pane), aluminum patio covers, and to a lesser extent landscaping.

And that there have been plenty That have simply defaulted and imploded.On the other hand, ( at least so far) conservatively structured deals are doing what they were designed to do, which is to survive a downturn without having to do any of the above.

Designed for STR, reasonable, intuitive, great support.

Summary: Portfolio product with 1% minimum down payment and no PMI requirement designed to benefit those heroes who serve and protect our communities.

A popular strategy I've seen work is to scale with properties in the C locations and then slowly upgrade your portfolio into the nicer asset classes as you progress and become more cash flow heavy. 

I think one of the reasons BiggerPockets has lost some of its popularity is due to the concerns you've mentioned.Don't listen to any of the capitalist counter-arguments posed here, you are not wrong in the things you're saying. 

BiggerPockets is full of resources designed to help you along your journey, whether you are just getting started or a seasoned investor.

I think FHA loans are still popular but if you can swing it the new 5% conventional rules are huge.