Mfh is an unfair game because you need a partner to help you with the experience question when getting a commercial loan.

Your personal loan has a 5 year balloon period.  

I am responding as a consumer not a STR owner we had one its lasted for us for exactly one tenant then we felt it was too much work for the return  on investment we do much better loaning money and buidling new homes than to worry about people goofing up our homes :)I do have some MTR you know fully furnished homes in Vegas and those are money makers for us top of the line tneants paying double the going rate for rent.

Can you be financially free, sure, consider if you are buying real estate you will no longer have stable income to get a loan.

Is it hard money loans, angel investors, etc?

These are the key to getting a loan.  

I toured the property when they were home and they asked me how the living situation was gonna work, which I explained that my loan said that I had to live on the property for a year, and the tenant next door was on a year lease & he was month to month... so he was going to have to leave.

So I did a 3-2-1 buydown and secured a 2.875% interest loan for the first year of the loan, and it will gradually go up a percent each year until it hits my rate of 5.875%!

And could even get a second home loan if doing traditional financing.

My first loans were at 9% ..