In terms of cash reserves outside of that we don't have anything substantial saved (our savings went to the earnest money) so our priority is to pay down the HELOC and increase income.

Many national STR PM companies working on a percentage of gross income (Daily rates + cleaning fees) charge an elevated cleaning fee.

With fantastic schools, constant appreciation, and more demand then inventory can account for, anything that comes on the market in this pocket will sell in under a week.

Taking into account some necessary supplies for installing the new unit (let’s say generously $800), that means their / hr rate was $533.

I suggest making a cash flow play for your first investment, but if you have a high income already, it may make sense to aim for appreciation. 

Renting per room can indeed maximize your earnings by allowing you to have multiple tenants contributing to your rental income.

I just got back from vacation and noticed that Ken and Mike “The Subto Guys” accounts are deleted.

They benefit by having a year lease with guaranteed income.

I even turned off the hot water tank to save money (until my then-girlfriend, now wife, convinced me to turn it back on)—all to use these savings as my launching pad of capital to get into buying income-producing real estate and starting a business.Fast forward to today, the foundational skills and inspiring stories I absorbed from the BP podcast have given me the confidence to take action and believe in myself, significantly advancing my investment career.

A pro account at DealMachine comes with skip tracing on all properties, that might be your best bet with a budget.For agent cold-calling, look up Mojo.