@Don Konipol @Mike Dymski Account Closed sounded too good to be true and way too many variables.  

Maybe 6 years ago, I had a variable rate mortgage with a local lender and rates had dropped but I was not due for a rate adjustment for a few years.

Then you can get more creative if you want.Now, within house-hacking, there are variables to consider.

Too many variables to say which is the better move without knowing more.The STR strategy can be great for cash flow, but it certainly isn't passive if you are managing the property.

Hey Olu - If you're concerned about the variable rate with a HELOC, I would suggest either a cash out refi or a HELOAN.

So from my experience in 4 different US markets I find Revpar (the revenue for the month divided by the number of days in a month) is a more important variable than occupancy.

Those were all things I considered to much risk and to many variables for me. 

You'll learn a lot with fewer variables than a short-term investment.

HELOCs often have variable interest rates, and you can borrow more in the future as you pay it down.If you're looking for long-term stability and want to lower the interest rate, cash-out refinance is probably the better option.

Of course it quickly snowballed so the result so far is a comprehensive, detailed model that captures quite a wide gamut of financial variables.