Best few hours spent. 

In that way, there will be an official trail of the agreement.Of course, best answer is consult CPA.

What would be a reasonable commission rate?

Trying to go to companies directly is rarely going to be your best bet. 

I would love to know where is the best place for me to start & least expensive, & what do I need as far as a team (attorneys, repair professionals, etc).

However, if I were to proceed with this, I would likely need to adjust the rent accordingly.I’m looking for advice from the community on how best to approach this situation.

Interest rates have been crushing, or at least compressing deals for them just like interest rates have been causing trouble for small investors like you and me.

The best site for that is furnished finder.  

Calculating the Deduction: Choose between the simplified method (a flat rate per square foot) or the regular method (actual expenses).How do you manage your home office deductions?

All that "certainly yes" cheerleading (and other Grant Cardone-style baseless crap) is best ignored.Read this older thread that states my opinion on the issue:https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/51/topics/1124042-tax-d...