Sorry for being long winded but my grandma always said "closed mouths don't get fed"..... so FEED ME!!!!

Although right now I don't have close to enough capital to get started I want to take this time to learn and gain as much experience as I can until I buy my first property.

Admittedly, it seems like he is needing to be a lot more hands on with the cheaper one, as she does not seem as experienced or knowing what questions to ask on front end to get a design knocked out quickly and efficiently.Things to think about with being an Airbnb host, that sort of stem from these questions: beyond some wall color choices and furniture selection, who is picking out dishes, flat ware, towels, blankets, sheets, pillows, mattresses.  

The numbers forecasted by them come nowhere close to reality.

Crimes data, etc. does not come even close to telling the real story about reality on the ground.

We used a mortgage broker to get a reasonable deal on rates, then did the rehab with locals, managed by us. from home and on site. close to breaking even on a month to month basis even with Covid cancellations and such.

If you don't have a ton of cash then NJ may be tough for you due to high price points (looking at 150k minimum for down payment and closing cost).

As a new investor, your product choices are limited. 

It also can get challenging to set a price now to possibly buy in the future that the owner and you will feel is fair (with markets still appreciating at a healthy pace).You can also keep your eyes open for a seller willing and able to do a land contract with you (but there usually would want much more money down and likely want a full pay off in a few years, but can see what you can negotiate on terms).I agree nothing illegal about options/option fees in WI to my knowledge, but generally seem much less frequently used in single residential transactions than commercial transactions where due diligence and closing timelines may be very drawn out.

Account Closed I would also advise to raise the rent a little each year but not enough to make then upset or run away.