The regulatory environment is the first thing you should consider when buying a STR here - it is both the worst and best part of being a CO STR investor.

@James DickensI’m in Lake Charles and have connected with a couple guys from LAFAYETTE; one is a good friend and co-worker and the other is a co-worker.

We only learned this meeting with the towns assistant commissioner of planning who was a co-worker of my wife who worked in city planning for a while.

I am not the one making the payments, but it's still on my credit report.My limited income, combined with being a co-signer on the loan, results in a less-than-ideal DTI ratio.Under these circumstances, what type of loan or lender should I focus on?

Ask local materials distributors which contractors pay their billing on time, and who order materials consistently.Go to some local REI meetups and ask for referrals.Look at local jobsite and take note of truck signage.Of course verify their licensing, here's a link https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/hiring-a-co...

She did babysitting, banked about $7,000, invested the $7,000 into a co-op in downtown Los Angeles with another Japanese girlfriend.

I'd suggest starting a co-hosting business before getting into rental arbitrage.

Have you looked into advertising as a co-living LTR, or as a 'business to buy'?

im in Orange County CA and there is a huge market here for room by room rentals here. i've been doing this for quite some time (over a decade now), and it certainly has its pro's and cons. my advice if you go about this is make sure you do proper vetting before moving someone in... not only for financials/ credit-worthiness, but also for temperament and expectations in a co-living space. we ask a lot of questions like "how do you handle conflict?"

Your property listing can also be a great way to lay out qualifying criteria (i.e credit score minimum, and require a co-signer if lower).After conducting due diligence into a particular tenants situation, and you decided to proceed with an application approval, you could require a higher security deposit.