For context its mainly retirement communities around 2 hours either way from Las Vegas and Phoenix.

It has solar power, a compost toilet, and other things of that nature to be self-sustaining.

The problem is mainly a concern for people with a net worth or reasonable income. 

This means no DTI, personal income verification, or tax returns are required.They’re also becoming a powerful tool for BRRRR investors during the refinance stage.

I too live in Marin, and feel it is a solid long term market for apprecaition, and utilizing the power of principle reduction.When it comes to refinancing, figure out what the loan costs will be, then divide that buy the monthly savings with the new loan in order to determine how long you have to maintain that loan to break even. 

This is mainly how we find buyers to offload our learnkey properties too.

Instead I want to take advantage of the opportunity I have of living rent free to invest my time and money in STR's to hopefully build that portfolio up and eventually make that my main source of income (I understand that will take time).

Small talk, showing empathy, and expressing genuine interest in their situation can go a long way in establishing trust and goodwill.Be Willing to Walk AwayOne of the most powerful negotiating tools is the ability to walk away.

Speak with lenders early to understand your borrowing power, and explore multifamily properties to maximize your house-hacking potential.

My main goal with BiggerPockets is to connect with other investors and hopefully build a reliable network of lenders, property managers, contractors, and agents.