Hello Renata,I'm in a similar situation to you at the moment, and am currently going through the process of setting up my first few deals in the US.

Do you hire an interior designer when setting up MTRs and STRs? 

@Ben Habig Is there some limitation by the HOA or municipality on how long you can rent the property etc?

Any recommendations for a towel set?

. $140 equity in our primary residence that we'd be open to getting a HELOC on (would love feedback on if people recommend this or not).Given our limited available resources for down payment, high home prices, and higher interest rates, is now a bad time for first time investors to enter the market?

Set a time limit.

There is a benefit to setting up a simple webpage, facebook page, google business page, and/or small youtube channel.

They can be left alone, or they need to set up boarding.

Team, vendor and admin work consolidation is a huge plus if you stay in a limited number of markets. 

This is based on limited no. of States - couple of states including FL mainly.I am very close deciding not to pursue rental property with any HOA and/or CDD.