It seems to me that whenever I get a message or booking from a VRBO guest, it takes it a little while to show up in HostTools whereas airbnb bookings seem to be instant.  

If you're not sure of you preferred direction with your next property I would invest in understanding investing more thoroughly and read 5-10 books as well as speak to other experienced investors.

Everything is by the book, so to speak.It’s hard to say “how long” it takes to forge a good relationship.

To get started, continue learning through podcasts like the BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast and books like "The Book on Rental Property Investing" and "Set for Life."

Unless you're getting this property way under-market value, and/or the property is in a great location (blue chip market), I don't actually see the value of doing seller financing here, considering it's not the most stellar terms anyway.

Instead of a pile of books or printouts at least you'll probably walk away with some money when the deal's over.  

I spent the prior 18 months obsessing over the markets, reading every book, diving into a massive rabbit hole with mobile home parks, and ultimately decided that in 2023, I had done the research that would suggest this journey is an absolute certainty. 

New landlords may think that's standard given that the booking and listing platforms are pushing it.

One challenge was getting the hotel occupancy up after renovation since no one had booked or stayed in years so there was no existing guest base.

I stick with the main OTAs and have added GVR since I believe that one could materialize but trying to get direct bookings is also difficult.