Money in hand sounds great, but my portfolio strategy (even though it’s currently small) is long term buy and hold.

I would rent the extra room(s) similarly to a medium term rental property.

I am wanting to invest 100% into real-estate whether it is flip and sell and/or long term rentals. 

In general, what is the strategy for choosing rental terms in the current market?

IMHO in order to secure the best terms, you'll want to stick with W-2 for the purchase.

Here are a few options and considerations:Commercial Loan or Portfolio Lender: Some commercial lenders or portfolio lenders may be more flexible in financing properties under an LLC, especially if the property will be used for commercial purposes like short-term rentals (Airbnb).

The original lease from the owner who owned it at the time it was installed had hand writing on it for payments that increased per 5 year term is what it looked like if I recall correctly.

I dont really see a disadvantage to investing in the self directed field other than it is not as easy to 'cash out' if you need the funds for something else, which is not always a bad things IF you are investing for the longer term, and that you can not leverage as highly as outside a plan.

I only know about the times where this was found out prior to closing, obviously I have no way to know about the times this shady behavior wasn't found out.Since you get a vote in who this tenant is, and it's retail, PSA that commercial lenders (especially the ones offering the best terms...) are starting to vet deals by how 'recession proof' the tenants are, even if they are currently paying on time.

If you prioritize debt reduction and long-term financial security, allocating extra funds towards paying off your mortgage can help achieve your goal sooner.