STRs can work well here, but I’d avoid going all-in since they’re seasonal and regulation-prone.A blended approach can give you stability and upside, STRs for peak season cash, mid-term furnished rentals for military and traveling professionals, and a couple of long-term units for steady baseline income.

If you’re using a property manager, it’s common practice that they take half of or the entire first months rent when placing a new tenant, and that’s besides if there’s vacancy in between.On your cash flow question: it depends where you’re buying, but assuming you’re buying in a pretty good neighborhood, if your projecting to cash flow flow $100 to $200 a month, and you have a steady job and income you could put into the property if needed in the short run, I think it could be a good a good investment.

What are the worst practices of Gurus?   

Regulations vary widely in geographic areas, and sometimes come down to the particular street, and/or permitting requirements.

Huge red flag to not have your management company up to date on the local regulations, that leaves me as the owner in a very bad position.

Networking is always a great practice and you never know who you might meet there and what good information they have to share.

Sellers received 93.8% of their list price in Austin, a slight improvement from last year, compared to 93.1% in the metro, a small decline from 2024.Here are the July 2025 stats for Austin and the greater metro:Here’s a chart showing the median sales price of a single-family home in the City of Austin over the past year:The median sales price for a single-family home in July 2025 was practically unchanged from a year ago in Austin, with a modest year-over-year increase of 2.5%.For some broader context, here’s a chart of the median sales price of a single-family home in Austin over the past 10 years:Compared to the recent price peak in May 2022, the median single-family home price in Austin is down approximately 13%.

I've praised you book and your practical, realistic advice and takes many times. 

And they can't afford to lose their money and also have additional protections built into the 401k laws and regulations.

"Any success stories/best practices?"