FYI a 50lbs bag of rock salt is less than $10 at home depot. 

Is it not fire rated rock or what?

Hello @Hannah Givens and welcomeEverything @Chad Rocke wrote with one addition regarding #4 - don't just purchase, actually read.

If your STR is in a drivable destination location area then it will rock for a long time.  

For example, a sketchy/unproven Buyer might have to offer a higher down payment whereas a rock solid Buyer with a track record of excellent and referrals for successfully completing these kinds of deals could probably negotiate a lower price.Sounds like you may not have much experience doing these kinds of deals, so what can you offer that will win the Seller's trust? 

She's a Rockstar property manager.

And in every single post, I found seasoned investors saying "Whoa now Sparky, you've got to stick to 50-55% and here's why (fill in rock solid explanations here...)."

There appears to be a lot of factors that are currently (and have been) contributing to the high demand for houses and the lack of inventory, such as rock bottom interest rates, the pandemic encouraging people to move from the cities and purchase homes, etc.

Getting started is more important than getting a rock bottom rate.

My partner and I recently bought a duplex in Round Rock (our first property) and are planning our next purchase, hopefully to be made by the end of 2021.