For marketing, I would say 95% of our converted leads come from Zillow.

But, VA is the only "owner occupied" loan type that you can actually refinance after you have converted this to an investment property! 

As for holding periods, some lenders may require you to occupy the property for a short time before converting it to a rental (typically 6-12 months), so check the fine print on that.If you’re set on making it an investment property, you may need to work with a lender who specializes in investment properties, even if it means a slightly higher rate.

I currently manage a long term rental and working on a single family home fixer (will probably convert to rental in the future) in Cali.

This duplex is originally single family home but converted as duplex by previous owner.

They converted the garage into a studio and been renting the upstairs and the downstairs on Airbnb for years. 

People who complain about the quality of leads typically fail to understand that it takes months and sometimes even years to nurture and convert a lead.

Hi, I'm converting a one bedroom apartment to an STR.

If you don’t like it, you can always pivot and sell, convert to a long-term rental, or move into another investment strategy with the equity and knowledge you’ve built.Starting this way means you’ll go through every key step: finding a deal, securing financing, managing tenants, and understanding property operations, but in the lowest-risk way possible.

Otherwise, it converts to fund their Security Deposit upon move-in and they pay the remaining funds.