My situation (recapped below) is somewhat unique and disqualifies me from most lenders for the time being:- Approximately $250k in annual income.- 3 properties owned with approximately $300k in equity.- 100% Disabled veteran receiving monthly disability.- Poor credit score from when primary residence loan was sold 10 months ago and autopay didn't transfer. 

Good camera system so you can see the property fully.As part of your due diligence, make sure you understand the market capacity, zoning for Self Storage- allowed and conditional, how easy or hard it is to build within 1 to 3 miles of you, if in a city. 

It's an ever-changing game and eachnsotuation is completely unique.

I've also polled several of the people in my network (contractors, flippers, wholesalers, brokers) asking what they are seeing.Below is my updated budget (padded) for Spring/Summer 2021. (1) Note that the 2020 numbers are a padded (I pad everything) high average of budgets pulled from 4 houses I flipped in the PNW in 2019-2020. (2) If the official numbers were below inflation, I used Inflation (Shadowstats.com). (3) The overall increase in price on my breakdown is close to the overall data I've found online, which makes me think I have a decent updated budget for eyeballing deals with. (4) To reiterate, the numbers I started with were unique to my situation in the PNW, so please don't take them as gospel for you!

My good friend had a unique and very uncool thing happen by a property manager he hired for his first rental/investment.

If you get a system/team in place you'll be fine, I'd just say make sure you are clear on your strategy and stay tight on your tenant screening criteria.Which neighborhood is the property in?

Regine was patient with me as I spent the evenings creating the systems for her to her job better, coaching her on the calls, and reviewing the leads she was getting.

I'm actively looking for a beach house to STR, and this and other articles about FEMA changing its rating system and therefore insurance rates in October has led me to steer clear of anything in a flood zone.  

Literally within those 3 different systems are a ton of the best schools in the entire country.

However, this situation is a bit unique as I went into this expecting a quick and light rehab, which is far from the case.