@Jamie BatemanIf I understand what they do- it looms like they are just a middle man where someone wants financing on a property they find a lender for it and will create documentation.

Hopefully it helps to understand what happened and why.All the best!

If for no other reason, it seems that I’d have a much better understanding of pricing our rental in general and a good baseline to make decisions in the future. 

Here is my simple Top 5:1.Review the market – Understand the trends and conditions in the area.2.Analyze the property and the numbers – Ensure the deal makes financial sense.3.Visit the property – There’s no substitute for seeing it firsthand.4.Meet the team – Whether it’s your property manager, builder, or contractor, relationships matter.5.Complete inspections and appraisals – These protect you from costly surprises.If all these boxes are checked and the numbers work for your goals, then it’s likely a solid deal.

These are by far the least amount passive so do your due diligence on understanding how to run a successful STR business and researching local laws on allowing STRs.2.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

As a realtor, investor, and owner of a construction company in College Station, Texas, I understand the importance of having trustworthy and efficient workers.

I understand the hesitancy to lease to students but vacancy is so low, that if you can handle a few headaches, it's worth it. 

Every unit has its own "microsite" of sorts with seperat msg threads and you can't write your own descriptions (which is understandable as they don't have seperate websites for different countries so they write "translation safe" descriptions for you), but still, it's no Airbnb.

For instance, I understand Phoenix and Las Vegas are becoming more popular for co-living rentals.