What I love about Baselane is that it was built BY real estate investors FOR real estate investors so it's really dialed in to what you're going to need in order to prepare your taxes, keep your books up to date and the more operational aspects of being an REI like tenant vetting and processing rent payments.

It's just not how successful people operate.

Cash-flow is for "keeping the lights on" as in covering operational expenses to defend against any need for additional capital investment. 

There are a ton of tools and resources that not a lot of people know so doing some YT watching and their training helps immensely. also, happy to answer any questions you might have on set up / operations.

Use STR-specific insurance to protect both parties and automate operations with platforms like Airbnb, TurnoverBnB, and PriceLabs.Taxable income from the STR must be reported, but you can deduct related expenses like cleaning, utilities, and furnishings.

Managing the property yourself can save money, teach you the ropes, and give you firsthand experience dealing with tenants and operations.

If you decide to operate one outside of their desired areas, they will come after you with hefty fines.

Your decision to prioritize effective support and comprehensive features, even if it means higher costs, seems reasonable, especially when it's critical for your business operations.

You get an operation running well and then you can be benevolent.  

Even if it's cleaning rooms, get a feel for the operations.