On the other side of the house is a set of four garages that someone else owns and rents them out.

Send them a couple reminders on a set schedule, just in case they honestly did forget.

I'm also looking into owner financing or setting up a lease option with current residence once my lease is up, and potentially turn it into my first rental. 

Hey @David Caddy, I understand your frustration, and that's why I encourage beginners to set realistic expectations from day one.

That's why I'm not just borrowing the money from him at a set interest rate.

This typically includes and exterior and interior makeover and re-leasisng to whole new set of tenants at much higher rents.

Thing is, I know auctions all have their own set of rules and such.

I set aside 15% for CapEx, Vacancy, and Repairs/Maintenance combined. 

I use OwnerRez. it is nice to set up email triggers, templates, create a direct booking website. it does integrate with Pricelabs and also has integration with other platforms besides VRBO and Airbnb. 

Thanks again for setting up this forum!