I know that I have my own opinion but I am not too proud to solicit the opinions of other professional investors. 

Hey @John ParshallAs others have mentioned, the current legislative landscape leaves the outlook on the viability of STR investments in SD a bit up in the air.However, as @Dan Heuschele stated, ensuring that the property is viable as a long-term rental will drastically reduce the risk associated with that uncertainty. 

I am ready to revamp my self-education in this field, learning, reading, and seeking advice from real professionals who have wisdom to offer. 

Amar with all due respect, I’m not sure if you quite understand how you are representing yourself as a professional RE agent in a professional environment.

I am not a CPA nor do I play one on TV:)Seriously this is should be run pas your tax professional

It also helps to build up a variety of team players for your future endeavors by checking out the company page here on Bigger Pockets to hook up with a few professionals in the area you need team support in.

It is a great place to really network and find folks you need for your team - professionals and jv partners - I want to address the last bit as I work for a loan brokering company.

We are not professional’s by any means.

., and I am wondering if I should or don't need to take a professional with me?

I realize that apart from browsing through these forums for answers, I should also build a virtual team of competent folks to get professional advice from - but because there seem to be a lot of categories of professional advice, I don't know the exact list of people I need to include in my team.