Had a bigger pockets buddy buy at the same time and he flew down to get keys and met the management company by accident.

I have heard section 8 can be 2-3 months at times, but sounds like your turnaround time is great. 

See if you can find time to fly to meetups in hot markets too

(If you see similar wording/phrasing, it may have come from you, to which I give full credit!)

I'm also looking for STR insurance and having a hard time finding a company that will insure.

For properties being placed into service for the first time, 75% for the gross rent (based on the appraisal/1007) is used. 25% is assumed as expenses/vacancy. 

I'd be willing to put in some sweat equity to compensate for your time and training.

Unless you have extensive time and experience managing Section 8 rentals, it is not advisable to self-manage them.Did they send you pictures of the holes in the floor?

One at a time would be a long time and a ton of 1031s.

My partner has a stable full-time job, but his photography business is not as steady as he'd like.We're interested in purchasing a multifamily property in either Baltimore, MD, or Hagerstown, MD, to kickstart our real estate journey.