The license (if you aren't going to use it to sell) is worth it for access to the MLS and access to dumps the first day they on the market.

They already have a track record (good or bad) with you, so you can decide based on payment history, inspections, etc.

Is this book worth my time or am I better off going another direction?

I haven’t personally worked with Five Stream Ventures, but I’ve found that vetting companies like these is all about the referrals and track record.

I owe about $289K and it's worth about $310-320K.

I don't even think its worth a sub-toSounds like you spoke to collections (who will tell you anything to get money) and not loss mitigation, as paying back due balances are NEVER part of a short sale.

We also have a second STR that runs smoothly, so this one feels like more effort than it's worth right now.I don’t want to sell since it’s a great property in a good area and fits well in our long-term portfolio.

It’s also worth diving into local regulations and HOA rules—they can shift quickly in coastal markets like this.

And if your investor friend’s private loan helps fill in any gaps, it might be worth considering that short-term pain for long-term stability.What do you think you’d focus on first... paying off that line of credit as fast as possible or jumpstarting the renovation to boost cash flow right away? 

At some point, the juice isn't worth the squeeze for us and we just want to enjoy life.