I am the primary money investor, deal finder, deal analyser but also have a secondary money investor.

Ken Kwok both those are primary markets and more for appreciation.

@Ali Boone Cheers - not sure of my budget just yet; I'm used to having done traditional lending through banks and don't have much experience cash-out refinancing yet, but currently reading up on all that stuff and exploring options.I'm actually from Charlotte originally so I would feel a little more comfortable investing in the city....I think for OOS I would prefer something more turnkey at first unless I was very confident that I had good contacts (contractor) "on the ground."

I visit and analyze the property, and estimate rehab costs (with experienced inspectors and contractors), add a buffer for unexpected repairs, and provide a financial model with an ROI comparison of a traditional rental vs. short-term rental.Any guidance/tips (positive comments only please) would be greatly appreciated!

It depends what the math says keep in mind that on air bnb you will have significantly higher management costs and you will have cleaning costs that would not be present in a traditional rental.

They may not have as nice online tools, apps, fancy sites like your traditional big banks but we’re good to work with.

The primary reason being time, you can get the study done in 30-60 days and get the bulk of the findings by then (asbestos, lead paint, underground storage tanks, etc.). 

Can you refi, rent or sell your primary?

Another poster a few days ago asked a similar question and much of the advice was focusing on doing non-traditional MF.

We bought our primary residence in Sacramento in late 2015, took out a HELOC on our primary in 2016, then used it to fix up a new rental property that we bought in 2017.