Instead, you could explore pulling equity out through a home equity line of credit (HELOC) or a cash-out refinance.

If not, well, a confused homeowner always says "No".𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀: Look for property owners with a problem, in markets that favor buyers: increasing inventory, declining sales, price reductions, long days on the market.𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀: Decide the 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 of lease option you are offering and craft the terms accordingly, agreeing on option to purchase price, lease duration, and monthly rent.𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Ensure your agreements are clear, legal, and protects all sides.𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲: Depending upon the type of lease option and your objective, either assign the option to a buyer for a fee, or exercise it yourself when the time’s right.Lease options are a low-risk, low cost entry into real estate investing—start small, take action, then grow.

Every PM operates differently, and at the end of the day, there is tons of information you can navigate on your own in the beginning stages online, but surely there will be PM's that would be more than happy to assist you on journey. 

It's been about 25 years since I was last active on Bigger Pockets.

You can actually get an even better deal on the front end by getting things like closing costs and commissions covered by the seller and sometimes even under listing price. 

I don't know any hard and fast metrics to check, but just being a member of the local housing pages on FB will tell you that people are clambering to find rooms for rent. 

So let's not be too hard on clients who want someone with hands on experience.You missed my point and my OB/GYN example though.

Would I pay capital gains on it since I now haven't lived in home for 2 of last 5 years? 

Let's assume a 3% appreciation rate per year on that.

I charge a scaled pet fee based on the size of the dog with a premium for high risk dogs.