That's 50k a year gone and you are losing tax write-offs and equity potential.

I want to take advantage of growth if possible, but also want to minimize taxes and fees (penalties).

It is a tax write off.

If you need financial help, ask under the "Finance, Tax, and Legal" forum.

Quote from @Erick Pena: A "good" rental property is one that covers all expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, property management fees, and any other costs) and still leave a surplus (commonly referred to as cash flow).Calculate cash flow as: Cash Flow = Rental Income − Operating Expenses − DebtThere's much more to it, but that's the basic idea.

I also wonder if some hosts only list during football season and then transition to mid-term rentals (MTRs) the rest of the year.New Tax Changes Coming in January 2025Starting January 2025, Airbnb will automatically collect and remit the 5% tourist tax for Gainesville.

Credit is a factor as bad credit may limit options, or may have the lender require you to put 10 or 20 years of taxes and insurance into escrow. 

If you can rent it for $2,000/month, after fees, taxes, and potential maintenance costs, you’d still make a decent passive income.

You'll want to put together a personal financial statement (basically lists of all your assets and liabilities) and have your tax returns ready.

I recommend that you find a trusted or recommended Mortgage Loan Originator (MLO), who can give you options for property-based loans (mostly investment loans) and they don't use your taxes but the P&L of the property.