Getting enough money to be comfortable is a motivator but once you hit that point you'll find it's a quickly diminishing scale, in which more money doesn't particularly interest you enough to do things you don't enjoy doing.

In contrast, STRs work this way intentionally, by design. 

They are not going to feel comfortable if you are going into "their space" while they're there. 

That may help you feel more comfortable here or if it doesn't then I'd explore other quotes.

I paid less than I would if I went with the mastermind's recommended designer. 

I can also count on 1 hand the number of tiny home designs I've seen that don't look like repurposed tough sheds and/or have awkward dimensions.

Those landlords had best take some time out to study the law.When a landlord implements standards which are designed to eliminate certain aspects of risk, such as minimum income levels and credit scores, and those standards are equally applied to all applicants it is not discrimination or illegal.

Entitlements go a long way towards lender comfort as well. 

While the interest rate might be higher, you eliminate the risk of needing to refinance or sell later, making it a safer option if your goal is to hold the property long-term without any financial uncertainty.If maximizing cash flow now is a priority and you're comfortable managing the future refinancing risk, owner financing with a balloon could be the better choice.

Thanks to my W2 career I am comfortable with being house rich, cash poor for now atleast so we will see how this all shakes out 10, 20 years from now.One thing that is true is that property management fees on STRs are an absolute profit killer, and honestly it hurts my soul, but I have to remind myself of the opportunity cost of time saved by doing this, which in-turn allows me to focus on other income generating projects.