I see these deals come across from time to time, they get snatched up by a cash buyer who likes to gamble.

Plan to keep it as a long-term rental and will most likely keep it as rent by the room if I move out since the area is convenient to RTP and Duke University for young professionals/students. 

I've used their maintenance feature here in Chicago and it was pretty convenient and smooth.  

From their 2020 10-k: We launched Zillow Offers in April 2018 to provide homeowners with the ability to receive cash offers to purchase their home, giving sellers peace of mind, control and convenience in one of the most stressful transactions of their lives. … When we buy a home from a seller, our title and escrow business, Zillow Closing Services, performs their due diligence for a clean title and a seamless close of the home transaction.

A gamble, given it was a guess the house would appraise for what we expected.When we originally discussed this with our agent and mentor, these are the numbers we presented.

(Kind of a gamble in case it took months)

I have not made an LLC yet, but I have made upgrades to the home to make the Airbnb more convenient and to maximize bookings.

The parcel was super cheap and I bought it on a gamble without much due diligence.

So this is a calculated gamble, if you think the market is going to continue to grow over the next 3 years, then even if you cashflow 0, the appreciation would be tremendous. 

Real estate is the wisest way to relatively safe, convenient, and secure venture.