If she does not comply, file for eviction. 

Plan is I have a dcsr loan and then I have a investor that's going to pay for the remodel and then I will refinance.

I am a 21 year old and I’m currently employed as a 1099 contractor (intern) for a digital marketing company and have been working there for a little over a year now (Haven’t filed taxes yet).

If I am filing jointly with my wife and she manages the STR (and passes materially participate test), can we still benefit from this?

She may need to file a gift tax return for the $31,000 gift depending on other factors. 

Buy a TLC or "ungly inventor" and use some of the cash to do some renovations before or after depending on if the properties were "Subject to" or would pass an appraisal and had high ARV potential for remodel or build out.

The aspect of buying and selling without the headache of repair, remodel or tenant issues is what I find the most appealing. 

The potential for a loan call is higher and higher with sub to the more parties you involve if that makes sense.Trying to take down four homes sub to and then do remodels to them all, and then list them on short-term rental sites, and get full permitting and ok for not just the STR, but for your renovations and all prior renovations maybe done without a permit, while on subto, sounds like a pretty big mess to me.I would consult with a sub to specialist and prepare for the potential of having all the loans called at some point.

That's the key component that is usually missing when I hear other entrepreneurs/investors say they don't like QBO.Something else to keep in mind is your entity structure and how your entities file tax returns.

Market appreciation helped but the remodel was a key component.