Depending on what you qualify “upstate” as (I’m in the Syracuse area) people are always looking for vacation rentals on the water, primarily Oneida lake and Lake Ontario especially in the summer time

First qualified person that give a deposit gets the place. 

Kitchens need exhaust fans too or you get unhealthy air recirculated from cooking,  We will be using an eco-dashboard that monitors indoor air pollution like C02,Carbon Monoxide (CO)Nitrogen dioxide and Sulfur dioxide are part of qualifying for the new healthy homes loan program that HUD and EPA run.

I would like to purchase short term rentals and be able to qualify as a real estate professional and deduct against by active income taxes.

Hi James, So I would love to go the traditional route, But I work a commission based job so qualifying isn’t as easy.

IDK, I said, but I can tell you that most of them barely qualified for the mortgage when they bought the house.

The church wants to pay you directly so they can prove the money was used correctly and not squandered by the renter.I require tenants to qualify on their own before signing a lease.

If you're not comfortable with the process, spend some time finding a qualified attorney who can handle it for you. 

I really want to make this happen, but I won't be qualified without that income.

You qualify for 100% financing and the closing costs can be covered by getting "Seller credits" which is fairly common in this market.