We have no interest in contact data gathering, as that space has been well developed. 

Well, STR can work well for people who own a vacation house for personal use, and just want to generate some extra income when not in use.  

If all goes well, we should be cash flowing right away. 

Hopefully, by year 3 the market will be good enough for a refinance as well!

I believe I will just be taking over his insurance as well, or that is the intent.

.: Some of the advice above is not well thought out or not aware of the rules in CA.  

As the new owner, you’ll want the lease and your landlord insurance policy to take effect as soon as you take title to the property.Temporary Lease Considerations:While short-term leases can work well, leasing to a seller long-term often leads to complications.

I think they contain solid information and will help lay a good foundation as a beginner (Haha, I'm completely new to real estate as well, btw)I'm also going to be reading the following books, and hopefully I can finish all by the end of this month:1) The ABCs of Property Management2) The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing3) Long-Distance Real Estate Investing How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties (this might be the most important one to me personally)4) The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money DownIn addition to reading, I'm consuming crazy amounts of youtube videos, and I'recommend you do this as well.

I dont know the area well enough yet so looking for any insight whether or not you can get a little cash flow and appreciation together.

I would also join every FB group for investors, from local to California, and post the package there as well.