Some types of Creative Financing include: Seller/Owner Financing, Land Contract, Wrap, Assumption, Subto, Lease Option, Contract for Deed.

Tell them you want to get into investing and ask them if they know of anyone who might be interested in seller financing. 

So I get your hesitation to be too demanding and your desire for the problems to go away as fast as they can, however since you have NO property manager ( I don't use one either), it is incumbent that you take a more ACTIVE approach with management of your property.Let's review your situation.  1st time leak occurred, you sent a plumber over to find the problem.  

Buyers don’t care if you shelled out more on the rehab, if you’re priced too high, you’ll end up sitting on the market way longer than you want, driving up holding costs.Lastly if your buying on market, REO or Corporate sellers are dominating and not as willing to negotiate as owners would.

Closing costs - you will have to pay taxes/stamps etc. typically as a seller.4.

One, you might want to consider Seller Financing (in Michigan, we call it a Land Contract) which can allow you to buy property while using the Seller as Banker; not all Sellers are open to this, but it can be beneficial to both the Buyer and Seller.

However, consider STR seasonality, local regulations, and management demands, and ensure your equity loan and new primary residence costs fit comfortably within your budget.

They demand the highest rent and therefore attract white-collar, high-income professional tenants who are “lifestyle” renters by choice.

The reason sellers cannot sell these properties through the traditional market is often due to certain issues, and 98% of the time, these issues are not beneficial to you as a buyer.

It might be helpful to narrow down your options by focusing and researching for markets with strong rental demand, growing job markets, and property prices that fit within your budget.