Typically, furnished rentals are for shorter term stays, so the tenant is most likely going to be able to deal with whatever your style is.Should be able to command much higher rent depending on the area for a furnished rental - minimum of 50% more than LTR.One option could be to lease the house and sell / lease the furniture in a separate bill of sale / contract.

If they don't pay willingly, what are my options? 

With a family and kids the best house hack is a house and cottage or duplex option.

We’ve found a great option for us in Tennessee with a cabin (currently used as a str) and a mobile home.

What is the standard option and earnest money in your area?  

You can contribute by finding deals or managing properties in exchange for a share of the profits.Lease Options: Control properties without owning them by renting with an option to buy, and potentially sublease for profit.Owner Financing: Buy properties directly from sellers willing to finance, bypassing traditional lenders and often requiring less upfront money.REIGs: Join real estate investment groups to pool funds with others for property investments.For a more hands-off approach, investing in turnkey properties in growing markets with minimal upfront investment would be ideal (like in the Southeast and Midwest of the country).

Using a Whole Life Insurance (WLI) loan avoids banks but accrues interest, potentially reducing policy benefits—compare this with other financing options like HELOC or seller financing.

It's a great option for the right investor at the right time in their lives.  

i did this early in my career and it was helpful.another option would be to build your own working group / beginner mastermind of people in your same position. 

Hey Brandon,I had good success by getting equity lines on properties to access the cash to invest again. 20% is certainly not essential if you want to go lower there are many lending options for lower down payments, especially if you are willing to house hack!