So that has been my "next action step" to wait for a clog to happen again and have him camera it, but it has now been almost 1.5 years with no incidents.TLDR: There is a chance that the bottom bathroom tub/toilet could fill with sewage during a guest stay, but I am hopeful that the next time it happens will be the last.

With the use of VRBO, Booking.com and direct bookings can all raise your chances of staying booked and being successful.  

You don't need to send your kids to daycare because your wife can be a stay at home mom. 

I just recently saw this post and wanted to say that on behalf of HomeRoom, we're sorry you didn't have a better experience during your stay with us.

It was a good learning experience, but it made me realize that staying away from major rehabs (for now) might be the best move until I have a more reliable system in place.That said, having family in the area like your sister and brother-in-law is a huge advantage!

We had hoped to rent our house for short-term or mid-term stays.

Start small, be patient, and stay connected with local meetups and online investor communities for support. 

The substitute of collateral was more of a scenario where you sold for $155K, and instead of paying off the $88K loan in your scenario, those funds stayed at the title company and were used on a cash purchase happening nearby in date. 

Stay patient, something will come up that makes sense.

My 2 cents: it sounds like you've got to pick a lane and stay in it, become an expert, and level up in that lane.