I am a high wage earner (w-2).  

Before you get any further, if you haven’t, I would highly recommend writing out your specific investment goals, your reason for investing, how active you want to be, if you want invest close to home etc.

While you're working to your 2025 goal, if you can, work and put your head down and save as much money as you can into a high-yield savings account and just build that up, be frugal, you can sacrifice for a little while.

Land contracts often allow for a higher price, typically 5% - 10% above market value, due to the flexibility they offer buyers.What's the average interest rates charged on these relative to regular mortgage rates?

Pro tip: Even though you can put no money down, you should be offering money down when you offer (even if it is returned at closing) so you have skin in the game.

In return, I can offer my time.

When they move to a new area, they hire a quality local property management firm to manage the rental for them longer term. 

Multifamily properties, like duplexes, can be particularly appealing because they allow you to live in one unit and rent out the other, which helps with covering the mortgage while also generating income.Another option is to invest out-of-state in markets where property prices are more reasonable but still offer great cash flow.

Even back then there were a lot of high rise hotels where you could get a decent condo-style room with hot water, cable tv etc for really cheap ($15-20USD/night).

As a real estate agent and seasoned short-term rental (STR) host with over seven years of experience, I've seen the STR market evolve, especially post-2021, where competition is at an all-time high.