Also, for those whose BUSINESS (as opposed to just investment) is STR, they can scale successfully while their experience and knowledge of the industry may allow them the opportunity to uncover and recognize those few opportunities that will provide a much higher than market risk adjusted ROI. 

My ultimate goal is to become successful with my real estate investments so I don’t have to rely so much on my job and be able to spend more time at home with my soon to be wife and future children.

You will have much better success with local banks or credit unions.  

It’s not a place where you can just buy anywhere and expect success.

And if it were set up where everything went through a title company so the buyer pays the title company, they manage the buyer's loan (from me), and the title company ensures my mortgage is paid without my direct involvement... what parts of the transaction would feel risky or not worth the headache to you? 

The successful are just good at cutting losses early.

Wishing you much success this year!

The IRS views this as a related-party transaction, and deductions like rent paid to yourself wouldn’t qualify.

Quote from @Vikas Jain: Yes, I have already seen the buy-in, im less concerned about that part of it, but just want to make sure its legitimate (plenty of opportunities where buyin is high but it doesn't always mean the product is good, just been burned in the past by others so trying to do better due diligence this time around)Their success rate, as of now, is 100 percent.

if they were that great you'd never see them because they'd all get bought up before they even came to you.I think what @Travis Biziorek is saying is correct - you need a strong network to be successful.