The highest appreciating markets and those with the greatest rental demand/price- like those in Florida and Texas - also cost more to acquire and insure. 

Due to your payment history it’s going to be tough to refi out into something more conventional or a DSCR.Hard money is your best bet but that’ll cost you.If your selling, drop the price and you’ll bring in more demand.

My concern, though, is committing to a long-term stay that could extend into the peak season, potentially limiting our ability to capitalize on higher demand during that period.Has anyone else faced similar challenges with their STR during the slow season?

IMO killeen is a solid investment. just have to watch which areas you are getting into. there are some pretty rough areas near fort hood but killeen is great because it is close enough to austin and people commute from there to austin as well. with fort cavazos near by and the new samsung plant coming online in taylor, it is a solid choice with steady demand for MF.

No surprise, this, along with job growth (HP is a large employer) forces prices to stay high as demand creeps up too.

If you had managed to purchase in those areas back then, your cash-on-cash return might look quite different today, especially with rental demand still holding strong.

Consider if refinancing after increasing rents could work, and whether MTR/STR demand is strong enough to sustain long-term profitability.Keep as LTR with Minimal Cash Flow: While this avoids a cash outlay, being cash flow negative or barely breaking even isn’t sustainable long-term.

Can you share what kind of proof you will require tenants to provide when they claim their pets are service pets/ ESG, will there be any different proofs between Service Pets and ESG? 

The decision to allow pets there, though, was influenced by demand and basic math.

While prices are low (under $200k), there's absolutely a rental demand - especially for working class and professional tenants who aren't ready to buy.