I've also heard that traveling nurses are good mid term occupants, so try reaching out there. 

Tried-and-true method.

I've tried Air BNB support to understand what the prior quality issues are to prove we've resolved them (but for privacy they can't tell me).

I see some listings trying to do that, but they're pretty recently listed so it's unclear at how successful they'll be.All that said, I'd run your numbers at $1,200/mo and if that works for you and your goals, great.

You have not added to much difficulty in terms of tax preparation, but in terms of tax record keeping you definitely have.I am not a tax professional, but having been a landlord who has tried(and failed) in my own tax situation, I would love to help point you in the right direction.Being your first year, it is all but a certainty that you have taken a loss.

Has anyone tried it and had success?

This gets people burned too many times by getting comps from a wholesaler, believing the comps, and then trying to sell it at that outprice that the wholesaler/bad agent gave is a huge miscalculation.

If your really needed it one could also consider hard money though that will come with higher rates and getting someone to give you 300k first time might be harder than just getting loan then you could refinance it later.Since your a high net worth person I would also try talking to local/regional and even big bank lenders.

I’m not trying to cheap out but I can do a lot with that.

Now, the TLDR version of my previous post:"Exit Strategy" is a big word for what I am trying to do: acquiring a modest home in rural Arizona at a cost of:1) About $15,000 in cash.2) Tying up another $200,000 four nearly four years at very low interest rate return.