To reiterate, 1) education is the key. reading books (I have a whole library. need a link, PM me) and listening to podcast is as important as actually doing it as well as networking with other investors in your/your friend area of interest. real estate investing entails tons of niches, so finding the one (or several) that suit your and your friend's interests and goals is your primary objective and then concentrating on learning in detail about it.2) diversification is a must. just like the old saying goes, don't put all eggs in one basket, especially since it's new to her. this entails, potentially splitting the funds between RE and the stock market (like mutual funds, etf's. consider using some robo advisers).Good luck!

Do you have recommendations for potential investor partners, insurance providers, property managers, and lenders for this unique market? 

Look up Unique stays in Indian Rocks Beach. 

I'm not a lawyer (do contact one), but if I owned a home I would either not hire a tenant at all, or pay them hourly and NOT keep them "on call" or anything else.Discounted rent as wages (think "company store") carries significant recordkeeping requirements, and yes there are people like me who are well aware of them and have lawyers ready to educate landlords who disagree with us, and their money is no object.

Hi all, hope everyone is staying safe out there.  I've read through Freddie/Fannie guidelines below and can't make heads or tails of it...We used to rent an apartment in NYC until March 1.  Lease expired.  We left NYC...

Hi @Kera Takacs--generally speaking, unless you're trying to include some very unique clauses, the standard lease used by the Association of Realtors for your state will be more than fine for most landlords.

To add some to that:My suggestion to find the best way to leverage your financing would be to talk to a licensed professional who can take your unique profile and situation to find the best options for you.

Having the roommate or tenant next door will give you real life experience as a landlord, which will come with unique issues that can only be learned through experience. 

Hello,I was hoping you guys could provide me a few tips based on the unique situation I'm in.

There will be small irregularities, specifics that are unique, and a short time frame.