If we did these all the time, we might shave 5K off the cost and 2 weeks off the time, but more I think would be wishful thinking.We did full disclosure during the sales process, even did a write up of the process with before, during and after pictures documenting the renovation.  

Go to McDonalds--bring an ink pen.Buy a small coffee--sugar and cream as you like.Grab a handful of napkins.Start sipping the coffee, and writing ideas that come to you on the napkins.Take a break.Hand write on lined paper (or put into an email) the points from the napkins, with filler sentences about each one.Maybe include a link if you think it helps.Then when you've made it financially--you can say you wrote your business plan on a napkin.Good Luck!

Doubtful it would make much financial sense to spend all that upfront just to save $75/mo.Let's say the closing costs, origination cost, and points were $3000: Your recapture period at $75/mo would be 40 months.You'd be better off if you just made an extra principal payment of $75/mo for those 40 months - it would shave years off of your loan. 

He also wanted to do a whole bunch of extra work like tearing up the entire ground floor (cream colored tile) because it is dated and replace it with the trendy wood look laminate for another 5k.

Your market may be different but the STR market as a whole is experienced some saturation and the cream rises to the top. 

Now imagine scooting out of the bed half asleep in the middle of the night to go to use the facilities... and apply cortisone cream to the back of your thighs (true story).

I hired a young couple to live with her, cook, clean make sure she takes meds, walk her to ballroom dance club wed and fri, to the chicken beach to swim, to the little home made ice cream shop ... all good until covid. 

My basic plan was to take the published maximum and shave off $50-$100 and target that price point.

No extra hot peppermint hot chocolate with whip cream and no mocha drizzle for me in the past 3 weeks.

I hope you get to enjoy some Blue Bell ice cream when you go :-)Thanks again!