Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Here is my situation:- I'm a W2 employee that earns north of $500k a year- My wife is a stay-at-home-spouse- I'm looking to buy ~ $1,000,000 in STR Real Estate by the end of the year (as an investment and to offset my tax bill)I'm fairly well versed in the rules surrounding using STR to offset active income.

@Michael MattinglyRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

I called a local real estate attorney and he advised against it.

I live in Missouri, and am looking to dabble in real estate. 

I'm Bella from So/Cal, passionate about Wholesaling Real Estate. 

Business or Real Estate?

It's encouraging to hear all the stories of many successful real estate investors who started with nothing.

Income received prior to that date would be considered rental income.Here's a good article on the facts and circumstances that would need to be considered: https://www.jmco.com/articles/real-estate/lease-options-sale...How it is ultimately treated will affect both the buyer and seller.

I have a friend who knows nothing about real estate or investing.