The six month cd isn’t the point my understanding is that I can’t just take out the HELOC, I need to actually use the money for my plan to work and a short term CD seemed safe and reasonable 

In that part of Texas the wind deductible's are all moving to a percent of the dwelling coverage.

I think 1) 10 years that includes recovery from GFC and the Covid pandemic is not a long enough duration2) I think for those 10 years, 100% is not that special3) I think many Midwest markets did not experience the appreciation you depict.There are Midwest markets that have pretty good long term appreciation but there are also many Midwest markets that have appreciation that has not historically kept up with inflation.  

If you acquire one new property each year, you could significantly increase your wealth and potentially position yourself to qualify for larger investments, like apartment buildings or construction loans, within 10 years.I’ve worked with clients who have successfully implemented this strategy, and it has proven to be an effective path to building long-term financial freedom through real estate.Good luck with your decision!

There is a distinct difference in the law between short term and long term rentals. 

I’m a first-timer, so bear with me if I sound a little clueless – I’m still figuring it all out.Here’s the scoop: I’m looking to purchase a long-term rental property within the $300-350k budget range.

call a few brokers and just see what their terms are.

@Tom Dieringer After purchasing my first property in 2024, I acquired most of my short-term rental (STR) knowledge from The Short Term Shop, which included maintaining respectful communication with guests, keeping calendar availability up-to-date, and ensuring high-quality listings.When I initially began May of 2024, I opted to list my property exclusively on a single Online Travel Agency (OTA) - Vrbo.

We have couple turnkeys, and couple of BRRRs that we did so far (all are single family residential properties with long-term tenants).We are interested in exploring commercial real estate, and wanted to get all of your help in getting started. 

What specifically are you looking for in terms of investing?