The house had the utilities turned off for the 6 years, and was filled with the original 1 owner's furniture, clothes, appliances, car and ecn food in the frig (without elctric on for 6 years). 

This summer I want to add a couple of outdoor games. 

Find a lawyer and issue a lease violation for other issues such as excessive noise and furniture removal.

But, even if someone was I would imagine the financing terms you can get a mid level furniture store would be much better then a hard money loan anyway. 

Exterior Deck or PatioAdding an outdoor living space like a deck or patio extends the usable living area and enhances the home's appeal, especially in regions with warm weather.In addition to these improvements, understanding the local real estate market and focusing on upgrades that align with buyer preferences in that area is crucial for maximizing ARV.Noah, thank you for this great feedback.

Looks like they had a nice outdoor event.

Not that it matters much now but we do a "coming soon" after renovation but before/during furniture. 

The big issue is people just buy a 3bed2bath and put okay furniture in it and expect to cash flow $5000/month.

The very basics would be getting your furniture and shopping list together, keyless entry like Schlage (with backup lockbox with physical key very close as well), looking into insurance, local taxes for STRs, and moreAlot of ways to save time and make it easier to self manage with a property management software like Hospitable and data research like AirDNA.

The rental had ratty furniture, a record player prominently featured in the marketing but it had no speakers, missing basics items in the kitchen, lots of drunks in the concrete hallways that reverberated right into the bedroom at 2am, a strong odor of urine outside, and more.We have super hosts in this forum that have hundreds of 5-star reviews and are masters of the craft, but I look at their rentals and see they don't have any artwork on the walls, decor is basic, they do nothing to make the guest feel welcome, etc.