They had listed it for $40k more in 8/24 and dropped consistently until 12/24, when I made my offer.

Do they offer to help you collect or file a claim against them?

Meanwhile, explore options with other STR PMs. 

Compare offers from the lenders, paying attention to interest rates, closing costs, and any penalties.

I believe in putting in the work—1,000 hours of research, testing, and learning—before offering advice, and I’m excited to tap into the collective wisdom of this community to refine my approach.Here’s where my head is at: I’m considering strategies like short-term rentals (Airbnb) for higher cash flow, long-term rentals for steady income, or even creative options like house hacking or partnerships to stretch the funds further.

I'd estimate that I currently have about $300k in equity on my home, and am seriously considering borrowing some of it to invest in real estate, however I have no idea what the best options would be (syndicating, rentals, flips, lending, etc).

We’re looking for Excel models to compare these options and calculate potential net worth in both scenarios.

I am a bit surprised that there are not more options? 

What’s my best option to argue there.

@Kamal Sukhija, The single member LLC option as been mentioned a couple of times.