I watched every single video and did every single exercise they suggested including writing in extreme detail about my perfect day once I’d “made it”, making an audio recording of it and then listening to it every day.

This could be perfect for them.I still fail how to see it defeats the options that I provided, or leans towards a better passive model or even a "partnership".

Or can I get away with zero exterior photos? 

Thats your bonafides to being able to do future deals.As mentioned above, keep your credit perfect.

That said, if everything goes perfectly with no issues, changes, or questions, my main gripe is that it takes a week to get my money in my account. 

That isn't perfect, but can give you an idea. 

Tenants tend to expect to get away with stuff when dealing with an owner/manager they wouldn’t try with a property manager.

If the numbers check out and you’re willing to learn, this could be the perfect stepping stone into hotel investing.

So now they start doing things to scratch that itch, and it starts unraveling the "perfect" Sub2 deal. 

Those highlight reels rarely show the hiccups, and from what I read in Forbes recently, a lot of seemingly ‘perfect’ deals are just good editing and timing.Before jumping in, I’d think about whether the deal has amoung enough cushion and what your backup plan is if the project drags on.