But I wanted to buy 1-2 short term rentals with the money.  

Maybe some specialty programs exist for prefab homes or a custom ADU builder might have his own lender partner they could refer you to... but unless you yourself are an experienced home builder with a track record in ground-up construction, you're basically looking at a hard money or a HELOC.

You will then have a few options with that rent money....you can put it into principal or you can start saving it to purchase yet another property.

I'd like to enter the private/hard money market as an investor with money to lend.

RE is not a magical business that prints money no matter what.

As a PM, we deal with people's most heated topics - their money and their homes. 

I recently attended a webinar, Master your Rentals: Save Money and Time with effective Self-management.  

Perhaps your kids could help you with video editing, marketing, and other things.While you are getting active income, you could potentially look at wholesaling or fix and flip.When you wholesale, you don't need a license and you don't need money.

I secured a 250k physician loan (no money down) at 7%, which brings payments to 1707/month, and 1887 with insurance and taxes.

The biggest mistake of my life was not keeping 50 or so more of the 500 I flipped, cost me millions Sure I made some money but guess what, I had to go back each week and flip another.