From my experience working with over 400 investors, starting early gives you a huge advantage in building long-term wealth.

In real terms you would walk away from an investment long before a primary residence and therefore most banks will not allow it for anything less than 10%.

Does anyone have any experience with furnished mid term rentals?

What is your finance mechanism and terms?  

In terms of using home equity, you would either have to take out the money using a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) or you could do a cash-out refinance.

She can use that money to get a hotel room or short term rental....or stay with family or friends.

Most 1-4 unit real estate investors are using DSCR loans right now for any buy and holds while flippers lean on higher leverage bridge/fix and flip loan options with higher interest rates.

So if you have a policy that says you wont rent to applicants with prior evictions then you hold to that. 

They also have a home vacancy tax in a lot of areas which applies to short term rentals. 

., short-term rental, mid-term rental)?