I hope this helps. good luck. https://zerodown.com/explore/h...

The first thing I'm exploring are short-term rentals.

In fact, we are looking into investing out of state as well albeit we weren't exploring the possibility of taking equity out of our current home to pay for it (my ignorance).

If a 20-minute commute by bike or the L is not an option for you, then you should certainly explore partnering with others in your target area to purchase an entire building.

I would recommend hiring a reputable GC or a project manager to act as your boots on the ground.

There are a few active real estate groups in the twin cities, one that is investor focused and another is an off market deals group run by a local wholesaler who has a great reputation from what I can tell (I don't personally know him).

Show them the money, but don't GIVE them the money.If they are weird and insist on having you put money in Escrow, and you are willing, I'd only give it to reputable Title company along with paperwork indicating that there is no contract requiring you to keep your money there and you can withdraw it any time. 

ibuyers have entered the field, with large capitalizations, well known names, reputations for closing with no problems, and offers on the high end of wholesale.

.#2 Explore Lowes and Home Depot to Learn About Material PricingTake a tour through Lowes and Home Depot (or their websites) and look at finishes materials and fixtures that you will consider using in your rehab projects.

The benefit to being on your side of the table is you can explore multiple markets...it's really about networking and finding a local firm/agent that works with investors (and invests themselves- critical)...to be honest, your agent should provide every connection you need to get your deals done...from start to finish...the agent is the center of your investing universe...no need to seek out other connections, really.And despite a general discontent for wholesalers, top tier investor agents follow the wholesale market and do a portion of their business off-market.