To make an informed real estate investment selection, think about initial investment, management ease, marketability, and selling value.

@Ray Dixon 5k is not enough, but I would connect with STR Investors in your area and offer help that way you keep building capital while learning more about the business. 

Hi BiggerPockets Community,I’m in the early stages of launching a private lending business and would love to get some insights and advice from those who have experience in this field.

Who(specific person or position) would you recommend I add to a team to acquire Commercial Real Estate Properties that are in the Phoenix Metro Market?

I’m Todd, the newest addition to the real estate circus. 

To summarize, STR is not dead to the ones that treat it like a business. 

I'm currently 20 years old and I have sparked a huge interest in real estate.

As always, the most detailed and complete answer from "The Black Belt in Real Estate Taxation".That's exactly how I imagined it worked. 

In other words, how would I calculate the return (from a purely financial standpoint) of "investing" in a primary residence vs renting and putting the money elsewhere (perhaps even into an investment property, but also considering buying a business)? 

You should never ever ever provide a loan on real estate without it being secured.