Here's two episodes I might start with on your STR/MTR decision journeyBuying in Overlooked Short-Term Rental Markets https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-948The Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Medium-Term Rental Empire https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-780If you like those two episodes, please feel free to reach out to me for more, there's a good amount of STR/MTR BiggerPockets podcasts and content.

I started off my investment journey in land and signed up under RETIPSTER, I thought it was a good program and I went through all the tutorials to get started in about a weeks time.  

I hold all of my properties in land trusts with a third party trustee.

Investing in land is an old method and it does a good job at holding value.

>Inland Empire and San Diego have minimal growth due to increased supply.The upcoming vote could reshape the rental landscape significantly, influencing affordability and availability across California’s rental markets.

Much slower than utilizing a HELOC, but I’m not trying to build an empire and just have a passive income source that eventually allows me to spend my time where I find meaningful.

Let me know if you have any questions...there are so many nuances when it comes to lending guidelines, getting the best terms, and setting yourself up in the best position possible for properties 2,3,4 and beyond as you build your empire. 

If you actually did this, you'd have an obvious answer for your question about financing down payments.This is your post from 9 months ago:My goal is I want to buy 200 properties in 5 years(separate business plan) and build even bigger after until I have the biggest real estate empire.

Barbara Corcoran: Built a real estate empire from a modest start and became a prominent figure in the industry.--- Tactic 1: Branding and PR: Corcoran used media and public relations to build her brand and attract high-end clientele.--- Tactic 2: Niche Specialization: She focused on the New York market, becoming an expert in her area.--- Tactic 3: Empowering Agents: Corcoran built a strong team, providing them with the tools and support needed to excel, which in turn grew her business.These investors show that success in real estate often comes from a mix of strategic purchasing, market specialization, strong branding, and building robust teams. 

I self manage our rentals (we had been using Empire but I want happy with their services) and use Cozy to run background/credit along with all the paperwork.