The agent either doesn't know or isn't allowed to say because of fiduciary responsibility.

It is still quite restrictive IMO and would not allow for many STRs but some to be added to the local market. 4.

I don't know why these people allow Something Like You on their platformCry harder!  

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?

If you can get a single family home and have roommates, that's the most approachable strategy and will really allow you to know rather quickly if you hate managing rentals or not.Here's my experience starting at 22, and what I regretted from house hacking: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/922/topics/1133476-hous... 

,Renting your primary home back to yourself isn’t typically allowed by the IRS for tax purposes, even if structured through an LLC.

If borrowing, use a non-recourse loan since personal guarantees aren't allowed.

A rider allowing for using your owner-occupied property as a short-term rental for a specific/limited amount of time is very different than an investment property being used as a short or long term rental 100% of the time.Also, telling your home insurance company that you STR your home occasionally does not give you extra coverage for those types of risks, it simply means if your renter burns your home down the insurance company isn't going to immediately deny your claim. 

STR's are currently not allowed unless you occupy the property.

A 1031 exchange will allow you to sell your building and use the proceeds to invest in a small multi family and/or medium term rentals.