Direct lenders are great for portfolio style loans, investors that do significant transactions and have a banking relationship. 

It sounds like you’ve set a strong foundation for your real estate investing journey, especially with the time you’ve spent educating yourself.

Consider financing options like hard money loans, or FHA loans for house hacking, and focus on areas with strong rental demand near the MA/NH border.

if his income is strong enough and not as much debt, he should be OKHope that helps..

I focus on finding deals that meet specific criteria, and I always keep my underwriting conservative to make sure the numbers work even on a worst case scenario.Right now, my big goal is to land my first property, ideally 20+ units in Florida, and build a strong portfolio from there.

My goal is to build a data-driven tool that provides actionable insights into which neighborhoods and property types are in the highest demand, based on metrics like:Time on market: How quickly rentals are being leased.Property characteristics: Bedrooms, bathrooms, size, and amenities.Pricing trends: Rental rates relative to market demand and property features.Visual quality: Leveraging property photos to analyze the style and condition of rentals that perform well.The tool will allow users to:Pinpoint areas with the fastest rental turnovers.Understand what types of properties (size, price range, features) rent the quickest.Gain deeper insights into property presentation and amenities that correlate with high demand.Thank you in advance for your feedback.

@Robert MedinaI agree with @JD Martin that you’re in a strong position with $600/month cash flow and a solid equity base.

Which I also would tell you that if you have trouble managing finances and poor credit I strongly advise against real estate as its capital intensive and if you struggle now managing money having more money and real estate only exacerbates that issue.

Starting with the Right PropertyGiven that this is your first STR and you’re planning to manage remotely, I’d suggest focusing on a market with a strong local infrastructure for short-term rentals—like Panama City Beach or Destin.

Only the first can be corrected, but us making a mistake and getting anything less than 5 star review is stricly unacceptable in my eyes and my team also has a strong sense of ownership in their position and loyalty to my company.