They're  concerned that the borrower is going to do something stupid, drive the property into a ditch, impair the property NOI / cash flow, and thus impair the mortgage bond. 

I've been buying and holding for SFH's rentals for 15+ years, but my goals now are Cash flow (70%) and Appreciation/Equity (30%) so I can invest faster/grow more in shorter periods of time.I ran this: View report on BP as a really rough test for investing in this property (3-plex, but also offers an attached 3-plex for consideration). 

Typically I would run a stress test to assure what my max purchasing/borrowing power would be because there are multiple factors that could influence your borrowing power such as house market prices, rates, income, liabilities.

The catch is the self-sufficiency test. 

Do you drive guests to VRBO for some reason?

I don't think they have the drive I'm looking for as I try to build and grow a portfolio so I don't think I'd trust them to build a partnership with but, yes, that's probably a good idea.

If you want this to be a real business, test out pricing levels to see what the market will bear.

It's pretty much a war zone there and I've had to communicate mostly by e-mail and text as cell service is about non-existent, and all the roads are closed so there's no driving over there and no gas even if you did get there. 

I would advise you to look for a house instead of a condo.Condos have many fees, rules and can have expensive assessments for repairs and improvements that you will be forced to pay.Also Condos are a dime a dozen so the competition is fierce which drives the nightly rental rate way down.

I've used them for 4 years now and tested 11 other companies just 6 months ago.