It is worth mentioning that my journey into real estate commenced without any formal education in the field; rather, I relied predominantly on extensive research and avidly consumed the invaluable insights shared through the Biggerpockets podcast.With each venture, my interest in real estate investment continues to grow, fostering a profound desire to acquire more properties.

Since the property is there, I can only do investor loans in AL, but from a consumer standpoint you can do Conventional, FHA, VA, and USDA as a renovation loan where you take the cost of the property plus the cost of the renovations as your purchase price up to the value of an "As-Repaired" appraisal.

Also is he referring to consumer debt (credit cards, payday loans etc..).

State consumer affairs and the contractors license board would close us down if we did monkey business like that.Junk fees are bait n switch 

This gap in the market has become increasingly pronounced, posing challenges for both developers and consumers alike.During the Great Recession, the housing market saw a shift towards multifamily rental properties as homeownership became less attainable for many.

I would recommend reading the book by J.Scott called "The book on estimating rehab cost" Also, network a lot and consume wholesaling-related content to give you a better picture of how it works. 

There's a reason Fortune 500 companies never stop marketing to consumers!

The problem in STR has, and probably always will be, the inability of the consumer to capably flesh out value properties.

If any of you could help me determine what kind of property damage I should avoid either because it costs too much to fix or it is just too difficult/ time consuming (things like termites, gas lines needing repair, roofing, etc.).

(Especially when you live at your investment, it can be time and attention consuming, but it's an incredible way to learn the ins and outs of real estate investment.)3) Attending local meet-ups is a great way to make connections and learn.