Since we are buying AFTER the school season has started we know vacancy will be a challenge until next school year and are hoping to get some leasing for spring semester, but have entertained the idea of AirBnB, but the following questions have stopped me from pursuing it:The purchasing/transportation/assembly of furnitureThings will likely get ruined (sheets, dishes, furniture) will my cleaning lady/house mom really be willing to go out and buy these things and replace them?

In my personal experience, I've only had positive responses when I've told people about my REI business.I was a renter myself for most of my adult life. 

We've entertain the thought, of buying a duplex.

Those shows are designed to ENTERTAIN and get as many people to watch as possible to sell TV ads.

I normally claim a lot of entertainment-industry-related exemptions with my entertainment agency job.

I've never entertained the idea of incentive's for GCs...

Do they often entertain a loss or are they expecting to be made whole and then some?

opinion.In a very general overview, I current own my home with a mortgage payment around 1150 and have done a comparative market analysis on the rent in my area and they are anywhere between 2000 and 2750.With that being said, I have been entertaining the idea of renting this house out and down sizing/grading a bit and purchasing another home to live in.Essentially, estimating this on the low conservative end of the spectrum from my "due diligence", it appears as if I rented this out I could cover my mortgage for my current home and then also cover the mortgage on the new primary residence.What are your guys' thoughts on this?

Make sure you understand this business model well and the associated risks if you entertain this path.  

Anything beyond that is usually entertainment and heavily edited to fit in a nice 30 or 60 minute viewing slot and has a producer setting up/staging the "drama" that we see unfold during the show.