One thing to remember is the flipper will have $30k- $40k in financing during flip and closing costs to buy the home then another $25k when they selll so that will play into the numbers that need to be considered. 

Dalton,A multi LTR strategy sounds like a great play for 2025.i would suggest attending any and all REI meet ups in your area that you can find; my brokerage hosts a bunch of them up in the north east and it's been huge for our growth.i would also suggest finding an investor focused agent.

It's definitely easier to find a cash flowing property in Midwest but I am of the opinion that cashflow in real estate keeps you in the game but appreciation is where you build wealth.

It's all a part of the game. 

Your tenants obligation was to pay you on Jan 1, so it doesn't matter if they paid someone else they still owe you...obviously details re: notice and dates all come into play here and from a practical perspective I'd work with the tenant and not move to evict over this.

You just have to do a LOT of homework and play by the rules.

I guess an appreciation play would be the only thing that makes sense over here.

That can play a big part when issuing terms. 

Networking plays a crucial role in this industry and remember to keep learning continuously.

If your game plan is to pay it off with prepaying all your money you absolutely need a HELOC however don't need to use.