Your money might be better served assisting you to attain a physical earning asset.

I currently have a property that we rent out on Airbnb and I can tell you that it can be very lucrative but there are many things to consider with a STR vs. a traditional long-term.I am not familiar with your area, but I know that demand for vacation rentals greatly depends on the location and proximity to amenities.

Are you taking a course at a physical location or online?

A little about me:-Marine Corps Veteran-3 purchases in 2016 (house hack & 2 rentals)-Finishing up Masters in Accounting-Finishing up CPA exams (2 out of 4 done)-Loan Officer for local lender (conventional financing, but I love doing loans for investors)-I'm passionate about physical fitness, self-improvement, and business/real estate. 

It's got great proximity to center city and public transit.

It's super old, probably knob and tube wiring, but with that square footage and proximity to downtown, I think it could make for a great investment candidate.

He is currently going to school to be a physical therapist. 

We have diverse environment in close proximity from ocean, to mountains, to desert (all less than an hour from virtually any location in San Diego).

I would probably visit at least once to drive the neighborhood and see how you feel before purchasing, but as far as the inspections and even the actual closing (we do most in escrow so you can close out of state properties without physically flying in), people do it all the time.

With proximity to TG the "street to street" fact is less of an issue, but as you get a certain distance away from the park that becomes true, certainly.As you go farther south rents decrease and you'll find tenants who work minimum wage jobs and are trying to get established, more blue collar workers, etc.