hope this makes sense lol took me a while to write this to try to explain it best

It might help to connect with local property managers who handle STRs to get a sense of what types of properties perform best. 

Apparently, they think they might have to return the deposits directly to the tenants, which makes no sense to me.

I actually live in Austin myself so could make sense to meet up in person if you want to do that.

Would it make more sense to focus on SFH because there are more of those potential deals  in my area or be patient and wait on a multi family that fits my criteria when available?

Many actually operate their real estate businesses more recklessly because of this false sense of security.

They can provide detailed reports, photos, and even virtual tours to give you a good sense of the place.

Duplexes will cost more but could also yield a higher rent per unit, you need to comp those numbers and see if the higher build cost would make sense due to potential higher rent coming in on duplexes.

Feel free to let me know if this didn’t make sense and I will try to clarify better.

I also have a lot of families that are in the process of buying a property or building and they need somewhere for a few weeks to a few months and furnished rentals makes the most sense in all scenarios.