We have a crystal clear conversation about this at the lease signing.To show I am not a grinch - part of my agreement with folks is that every 13th month I discount their rent by 10% to recognize their on-time payments.

Sure you can sell it and take that cash and put it into something that you can manage yourself, but with an interest rate as low as you have it for, I would not.

Chances are you'll want to refi in a few years anyway once rates fall.

The seller is paying 20k in mortgage interest, given the current interest rates I would need to 45kish in mortgage interest for the said STR.

There are plenty of lenders that don't require experience to lend, but leverage/rate might be altered a bit.

I keep wondering about insurance, vacancy rates, if tenant selection is a bigger/ different factor, terms of the tenancy and differences in opex and capex?

Do school ratings matter for SFH?

It can be challenging for 1-4 units depending on the property characteristics, your loss history/other rating factors, and location.

In some markets you won’t get the higher booking rates and occupancy numbers without a pool (Florida and Arizona come to mind). 

Hey Anne, I'd suggest you do some research on the MTR rental rates and vacancy rates in your target area and understand the costs involved in renovations, financing and property management.