I know where I am going to hang my license as long as my application is accepted and am excited to become a local real estate agent.

@Lauren MerendinoI strongly believe that your chosen market should be somewhere that you can go to in person / have strong personal knowledge of / have family or a network in already.  

Connecting with local lenders or experienced investors can really help you get clarity.

I'm local.

Operating an Airbnb business requires being up to date on current local ordinances and restrictions.

I obviously can't comment on yours specifically.Go to the local REIA events, get in specifically with the folks doing the syndication thing.

I’m currently diving into the world of rental property investing and exploring opportunities in my local market.

But perhaps you would be better served helping a local experienced investor find deals and ask them to show you exactly how they analyze deals, what's good vs bad, how do they finance (debt vs equity) etc etc and understand their business model that has a proven track record by providing value to them.

Localized knowledge for an agent or investor is needed to answer most of these questions.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel, be strong... and then maybe call your local councilperson to tell them about the horrible situation you're in.