With myself as an operator I would offer the following: underwriting the deals, a detailed scope of work, a detailed material list, the labor, and the management.  

Also underwrite deals as if they were going to be a long term rental and then work up to an STR.

Most landlords wait until the tenant stops paying rent before learning how to deal with it, and they are always behind the curve.

We deal with residential, commercial, new construction, multi family, and flips. 

We have had to walk away from some decent deals because rates were too high to make the numbers work.

My wife and I moved to main house and rent the guest house as STR What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

Basic, but functional faucet.Appliances ($3,500):Focus on essential replacements.Refrigerator: Energy-efficient model.Range: Standard electric or gas range.Dishwasher: Basic model.Consider deals, scratch-and-dent appliances.Lighting ($1,000):Recessed lighting in the ceiling.Under-cabinet lighting.Basic pendant lights over the island.Paint & Trim ($500):DIY painting.New baseboard.2.

If a seller refinanced a house at around 220k and has about 120k left in mortgage, but the house also appreciated to 450k, how do I structure a subto/seller finance deal?

So I do deal with one person or at least have that person I can email or call. 

Since you're 6-12 months away from buying, use this time to build investor relationships, master deal analysis, and secure financing.