@Scott VaethIf you live in part of the home and rent out rooms, you might be able to keep the lower 4% owner-occupied rate.Instead of a long-term rental that barely covers half the mortgage, could you do a rent-by-the-room model or target traveling professionals to increase cash flow?

I'm sure there will be others with their own (and possibly conflicting) opinions, but for question #1, I always advise my clients to focus on properties in areas that 1) they currently (or previous) live in/near, 2) they travel to frequently, or 3) they have family/friends in the area.For question #2, the answer is going to depend on what you do for #1.

One community I invest in is currently adding a quarter billion dollar mixed use development the other is at an interstate insertion that 4x's the population with travelers daily. 

i don't know how you BRRRR out of state unless you're planning on traveling there frequently to oversee it. 

If you need any contacts that would travel to do the work feel free to DM me.

A CPA can ensure proper filing of rental income on Schedule E and help identify tax-saving strategies, such as optimizing deductions for maintenance, repairs, and travel.

Quote from @Ryan Pham: Is there a reliable way for to est income of a furnish / short term / airbnb  incomevs long time income ( I know this can be est looking at comparable posting in same area )I have a 3 bed / 1 bath small townhome ( hoa approved ) I like to try to fully furnish and do airbnb / fully furnish rentalThis unit is 1 mile from Banner Desert Medical Center ( traveling nurse ?

Travel time has been treated unfavorably by courts, with a few exceptions.

The furthest properties are the hardest to deal with because my contractors don’t want to travel that far due to their time wasted driving and the cost of gas for their big trucks.

We are both nurse and plan to travel for a good portion of this time, so 'living' in the small 1br or studio apartment for residence purposes will not be a major issue for us since we will rarely be there.