The loan is a conventional loan so I want to make sure I am thorough and both me and the seller are protected.  

Eye for DetailIt’s all about the little things.

It never hurts to have an additional set of eyes to look after your property.

We are newbies, and don't want to miss out on a great investment and tax savings opportunity, but obviously want to do everything correctly in the eyes of Uncle Sam.

I'm advising folks to keep a close eye on Clay, Cicero, North Syracuse, the neighborhoods including and surrounding Eastwood, and the neighborhoods by the university.

How do I protect myself in this situation, while also helping a relative? 

To protect yourself, make sure you have a great property for STR. 

Also any tips for automating this as much as possible and how to protect the property financially and property management would be appreciated.I ALMOST understand the rental arbitrage strategy if building a company scaling with say 30 + units and looking for high short term cash flow.  

So I keep my eyes on North and North West Raleigh, Cary/Morrisville, South Point Durham, and Bethesda Durham into 27703.Size doesn't matter as much with short term rentals.

I have watched Youtube and Instagram video/pitches till Ive become cross eyed the last several months absorbing pitch after pitch after pitch and am asking for advice.