I love the idea of campgrounds or a tiny home village, but they'll require some capital to develop into it. are you attending any local investor meet-ups?

You will even get it in writing (he does all his training orally using slides and at least we didn't get a copy of any material, so you have to take notes and pictures to keep up).Invest those 20k, 30k or 50k into a property, whether it is rehabbing and fliping, BRRRR-ing, or hacking, and network with local (from Dallas, not Austin) REI, realtors, loaners, etc. which you can find here and in the REI meetups.

I recommend networking with other MTR operators at your local REI meetup for market-specific feedback. 

We have a good amount of equity in our home and currently have a $140k HELOC on it with a local bank.

You notice it on the forums as well...we rarely discuss real transactions any more and all the talk is about "the market". it is expected, pretty well expected to behave like that.one thing that we don't understand is that why certain market remains so hot and strong (for example some local market in CA), this one is unpredictable. 

However, if you don't have much experience with purchasing real estate, or are unfamiliar with your local area, then it may be beneficial for you to work with an agent regardless of where you are sourcing your deals from.Your agent should be providing value beyond whatever amount they are charging you, and if they're not it may be time to find someone new to join your team!

Xero is definitely cheaper but the bank connections are limited so if you use a local bank it might not work.

I have a HELOC on my rental, I got it with a local credit union.

People are always searching local.

I'm and experienced STR owner and manager and multifamily owner operator, so I know about 28 day minimums, local regulations, underwriting, insurance etc.