Eliminate debt, establish a budget, and save.

What happens if you sell a property to invest somewhere else and make a mistake?

It at least gives you a starting point and will help you eliminate a lot of things right off the bat.

I put my criteria clearly in the listing: 3x income over rent, 85% on-time payment history on credit report, and good references from past landlord.The biggest mistake you can make is taking the word of a current landlord.

A channel manager like Hospitable syncs bookings across all platforms, avoiding embarrassing overlaps and keeping all communications centralized.Automated Cleaning Schedules: After each guest checks out, cleaning schedules can be synced automatically with the cleaning crew—eliminating missed cleanings or the need for last-minute arrangements.Automating these aspects of STR management isn’t just about making life easier—it’s about maximizing profits, improving guest satisfaction, and bringing back valuable personal time.Have you tried automating your STR?

Yes, it's easy to ask you these questions after the fact, but you won't succeed unless you carefully review your mistakes and learn from them.Not sure I agree with your statement, "RTR knew they’d messed up".

So you eliminate the properties that make no sense for whatever reason and end up with a still OK list.- you start your research doing comps, maybe talking to neighbors, trying to see the inside, etc. 

The biggest mistake new investors make is to walk a property, maybe explain in general terms what they want and then let the contractor come up with the SoW.For a bedroom this could be:- replace carpet- repair closet dooror- remove carpet- remove curtains, nails and screws- replace closet doors, entry door SKU#- replace window SKU#- refinish hardwood floors 144 sqft, clear/oil-based- prep and paint all woodwork- patch walls, texture, paint walls eggshell white clay, ceiling flat white- replace light fixture SKU#, replace lightswitch w decora/white, replace 3 outlets&covers- install blinds SKU#Obviously, the cost would be quite different.

Your agent should be able to connect you to a lender that would have experience with the VA process.Quick primer on VA loans.https://www.va.gov/housing-***...One of the things I did since my first purchase was to write down in a log all the mistakes I made with each  property.

I would be happy to have a call sometime to discuss your plans and see what I can do to help avoid some of the mistakes and also what to look for in this market as it is very competitive.