And I'm not saying this to earn your business just as if it was a residential property.

I recently moved from France, where I spent 8 years running my own house renovation business.

Yours appears to be a business-purpose (investment) loan.

Yes, this is "tough love", but you won't survive in this business if you let it affect you:)

I was seeing information online that suggested both routes...Thanks in advance for the help!

The property is located near two colleges, so I’m focusing on student tenants and planning for 12-month lease terms.Do you have any tips or advice for renting by the room?

. :) Wishing you the best in your business. 

So if you are in a 30% combined tax bracket you get an additional $3K due to write offs.If it is a rental, you can write off the business expenses and the depreciation on the non land valuation. 

I didn’t know anyone in Alabama, so I called a few agents I found online and ended up picking one from BiggerPockets.

Attend local builder associations or networking events, and focus on small contractors or businesses without in-house permit expertise.Highlight how you save time and ensure compliance—it’s a big value-add.