I'm buying a property directly from the owner. 

Where do you buy it?

There's a very good chance the issue(s) you face have already been discussed and answered.Ask questions in the appropriate forum.

Use this to your advantage by identifying potential investment properties, such as undervalued homes or areas with strong rental demand.Start with a Clear Strategy: Whether you're interested in flipping properties, buy-and-hold, or rental properties, having a clear strategy will help guide your decisions and keep you focused.

Unless you are in a vacation area, I would never buy a STR that does not work as a LTR.Regarding another pandemic, we have one like every 100 years, so I am playing the odds that we are not going to have another covid lockdown situation anytime soon.

I've been doing some research on buying first rental property in Port St Lucie Area. 

My plan was to put down 35% while she would cover the remaining 65%.However, the seller has requested to be in escrow for 45-60 days so that he can complete a 1031 exchange and use the proceeds to buy another house within that period.

Investment Info:Small multi-family (2-4 units) buy & hold investment.

You can read all the books and listen to all the podcasts, but until you know other real estate investors, you will not buy anything and not move forward.

The contract is assigned, then a buyer buys the deal and their money is used as they are the ones buying it.