We talked to another guy recently who made nearly six figures installing chrismas/holiday lights.

Army Veteran and A&P Certified Heli/PlaneTech.Hobbies Include: Light Sport Aircraft, JDM Cars, Exotic Cars, Snow Boarding, Welding, Mountain Biking, Dirt Bikes, Jet Skis, Drag Racing, AutoX, Kayak, Loons Soccer, etc.....you get the idea.

Just update that lighting to make it look warmer and you should be good to go.I would create a separate bank account for the place.

Many other have warned about HOA's...stay away from any neighborhood that doesn't have an HOA and isn't zoned specifically to be STR.

Start with something light-value add or turnkey so you don't take on too much risk and you can learn the whole process with a more friendly investment. 

I'll be able to shed additional light on the situation once I better understand the perceived risks you are looking to protect against and better understand the duplex. 

We want something neither light nor dark—maybe a mid-tone that won’t show too much wear.

I would only do so on light rehabs or with contractors I have a lot of trust in. 

This question has come up a few times with prospective clients recently, so I thought I'd shed some light on it.Generally, being an employee in a real estate business does not automatically qualify you for REPS unless you own at least 5% of the employer.

Can you shed some light on what’s better for vacation rental overall return?