I think if you have a little extra time, operating a smaller STR business can pick up some good income.

Hello @Yvonne Wang,The scope of work should include the following:- Basic info: Property address, client name, contractor's contact info, address, license#'s, signed general/operating agreement b/w contractor and client- Specification of repairs: Repair item, Quantity of items needed, total & per unit cost of items, taxes (if applicable), Completion hours, title of the person responsible for the repair item, written summary describing the work- Add'l info: Schedule of repairs, additional payment schedule details i.e. disbursement schedule, method of disbursement, deposits, holdback amounts, etc.The screenshot below highlights a couple of repair items.

Knowing your long-term plans can help you build a long-term financing strategy so that you are not just worried about purchase number 4, but also purchases 5 - 20+ (if you plan to continue to invest).I'm an investor and licensed mortgage broker.

Quote from @Jesse Valdez: When operating a business, it pays to know the laws.In most states, guests staying fewer than 30 days can be removed by police for failure to pay rent or obey the rules.

This isn't 2011-2013 days but many people are stuck in that time period STILL.As I finish my licensing study, I'm very grateful I chose this route as opposed to being a one trick pony.Wholesalers did themselves in by their method of operating.  

My suggestion is to continue being active on BP, get out to some networking events and seminars and also educate yourself through books and podcasts. 

It's not easy, but all successful agents operate like a business with daily tasks to attract leads and follow through on those leads.

@Jay Hinrichs exactly the risk is even more than traditional development and the profit is actually less with more operational headaches.

Or is it better to capture all the rental income while continuing to pay my current rent at $500/month?

It also is helpful to have a California LLC in case you ever sell that property and move into another state so that you do not need to form a new LLC altogether with new operating agreement, just re-register in the new state as a new foreign LLC.