New to the forum and new to STR (Lots of long term experience), thanks all for the community.  

Quote from @Benjamin Cuddy: Although the term "trust fund" is used, this isn't an actual trust fund.

If Buyer obtains a loan for any part of the Purchase Price of the Property, Buyer acknowledgesthat any terms and conditions imposed by Buyer's lender(s) or by CFPB Requirements shall not affect or extendthe Buyer's obligation to close or otherwise affect any terms or conditions of this Contract."

This allows you to learn the ropes at a slower pace and build the connections you'll need for long-term success. 

My ultimate goal is to have $10k net cash per month from my long term rentals.

Most of the points you're making are making relate to that.Yet, your post was about a short-term rental or about an investment property.

They share a lot of similarities in terms of price point, both for your purchase as well as your rents, they are attractive to renters and first time home buyers because of their affordability relative to the rest of the county.  

We're going to start the mid-term rental route for our unit upstairs.

It’s an excellent spot for flipping properties aimed at middle-income buyers.Each of these zip codes offers different advantages depending on what you’re looking for in terms of community, property type, and investment scale.

Be sure to set up some Keyword Alerts with keywords that you want to be kept in the loop about - such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, or "Single Family" - so you'll be emailed when those terms are discussed on the forums!