I quit investing 26 years ago due to some setbacks and it took me another 21 years to get back in the game.

Personally, I'd be nervous to not get some type of deposit from my guest because I like for them to have "skin in the game" 

I've included an example below to help illustrate this.So different lenders have different rates (which do vary even for DSCR loans) but these are factors they all consider.See example below:DSCR < 1Principal + Interest = $1,700Taxes = $350, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $50Total PITIA = $2200Rent = $2000DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2000/2200 = 0.91Since the DSCR is 0.91, we know the expenses are greater than the income of the property.DSCR >1Principal + Interest = $1,500Taxes = $250, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $25Total PITIA = $1875 Rent = $2300DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2300/1875 = 1.23If a purchase, you also generally need reserves / savings to show you have 3-6 month payments of PITIA (principal / interest (mortgage payment), property taxes and insurance and HOA (if applicable).

Run scenarios with 2%, 4%, and 6% annual appreciation to see how your returns might vary.

Thank you in advanceDepending on tree type might be able to trade or sell for the workCost for all utilities and street will vary depending on the type of road you will have inverted or crowned. - how many catch basins you will need, hydrants   - etc.Very important you must utilize both sides of the road to maximize your effective cost for the road and utilities when building.

These tenants tend to be reliable and respectful of the space—often more so than the varied guest pool with short-term rentals. 

To state that a broker cost more than a lender is false and can vary based on institution.

However, the specific comps can vary and its hard to make it a perfect apples to apples comparison. 

For those of you who’ve been in the short-term rental game for a while, what’s one lesson you wish you’d learned sooner?

Real estate is a numbers game, and patience is key.