I will need to self manage through VRBO/Airbnb in order to help classify the income as active income so that I might be able to right off the accelerated depreciation against W-2 income.- I have about 150K available for a down payment, any suggestions on the type of property to target (cabin, condo) if the goal is to be around cash flow even?

There is a passive activity loss limitation that allows individuals who make less than $150,000 per year to offset up to $25,000 in losses per year. 

Stay local.

Instead of spending time on systems before you own your first rental property, you should be out at real estate investor meetups meeting other local investors who are only a little ahead of where you want to be.

However, depending on where your rental community is located, local city/county ordinances could have those requirements.

The education and health services sector alone added 23,800 jobs in the past year, reflecting a significant expansion in these industries, particularly in healthcare and social assistance​.Proximity to Major Employment Centers: Greater Heights offers convenient access to key employment hubs such as downtown Houston and the Galleria area, which are major attractors for residents due to the short commute and abundant job opportunities​.Education: Nearby institutions like University of Houston and Rice University contribute to the area's appeal.Infrastructure Projects: Ongoing developments like the East Blocks Redevelopment and BioHub II at Generation Park enhance local amenities and attractiveness.Investment InsightsGreater Heights Rental Market Trends:Single-Family House Rentals:Median Rent: $1,350 for 1 bedroom, $2,695 for 2 bedrooms, $3,250 for 3 bedrooms, and $6,100 for 4+ bedrooms​​.Stability in rent prices with modest YoY increases: 2 bedroom rents increased by $195, and 3 bedroom rents by $250​​.Median Sold Price YoY ComparisonApartment Rentals:1 bedroom apartments saw a YoY increase of $305, 2 bedroom apartments by $667, indicating strong demand for these unit types​​.Available Rentals:High availability of both house and apartment rentals, indicating a robust market that can support new rental investments​​.Sales Market Trends:Median Sale Prices:Significant appreciation in home values, particularly in 1-bedroom homes, which saw a 190.7% increase from $215K to $625K​​.Other bedroom counts also showed positive appreciation, e.g., 2 bedrooms (5.3%), 3 bedrooms (6.5%), 4 bedrooms (17.4%)​​.Market Activity:Increased number of homes for sale and sold, suggesting a dynamic and active real estate market.

Trophy Point never filed the Release of Mortgage with my local land records and this is now obviously getting in the way of closing.

You can charge up to but not more than what the local power company rate is in your area.

That can be both a positive or a negative depending on the opportunity cost of the monthly fee and % of commission they take on every sale vs the opportunity and tools that are given to you.On the other hand smaller local shops can be more flexible when it comes to the terms of full time sales agents vs part time agents.

You can check local banks, TD Bank does do HELOC's on Investment properties (90% LTV on up to 4 investments + 1 primary last I checked).