Also look back on their application and see if you missed any 'red flags" so this can be a valuable learning experience for you.

And I suppose the likelihood of us getting more STRs in the area is directly tied to how good/bad our experience with this one is!  

I am in the middle of writing my own experiences.

Now you are saying you have no experience owning/operating an STR, that's another hit.  

I want to learn and get as much experience as I can.

But even then, seller financing is rarely substantially better than another investment they could make (including trust deed lending, which will often be at a higher rate than seller financing)In my experience, the owners who find owner financing advantageous are at the ends of their careers and are not interested in looking for another investment (other than the usual retirement funding sorts.)

What are your experiences with "boring" real estate?

I already have the knowledge, experience, and systems in place to do about 20 properties this year.

Wondering if anyone has experience there?

@Matt PowersFrom my experience, deciding between short-term rentals (STRs) and long-term rentals (LTRs) depends on the market.