I definitely have a biased opinion on our market here.

5 years from when you list it for sale on the market?

Consider long-term goals, market trends, improvements, tax benefits, and flexibility.

Good teachers on YouTube for realtors to gain ideas for marketing, gaining new listings, etc?

Items I would like to see integrated:- CRM- Email Marketing Campaign (likely from CRM platform)- Issue/Break fix tracking

If we were to rent out the unit we live in the place would cashflow, even if it were slightly bellow market rent.  

My goal is to focus on non-QM (Qualified Mortgage) clients and underserved markets.

Lower interest rates would certainly make projects more attractive.It'll be interesting to see how lenders balance the need for risk mitigation with the opportunity to capture a larger market share by offering competitive rates

I think VA is a better market in terms of price growth vs MD, and a lot of my investor clients agree.In terms of local networks for mentorship/networking/guidance, there are two I know of in NoVa that I have personally been to:NOVA REI Meetups - they meet at Tysons Mall once a month.Cash Flow Breakfast Clubs - there are a few locations including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, etc.

San Diego is a hard market to do that in.