I would stalk the places where my ideal clients would hang out.This is actually a strategy I have developed for my clients.It is called the "Stalking the watering hole" strategy.Like a lion trying to catch prey in Africa.

Given your closet situation, which isn’t ideal, I would cordon off a section of one or more closets, while still ensuring that every bedroom has at least part of a closet for guest use.

Not the most ideal, but as you know, 2-3 years can be an eternity in this business so it buys me time to explore other exit strategies.

So ideally, at the end of the year- your rental made money. 

Assuming we can start the rehab the same day we close it would be ideal if we could refinance sooner than 6 months.

I'm looking for help finding syndication sponsors with a minimum 15 years experience, in multi family value add, secondary or primary markets, ideally in the south, southeast, southwest, but open to different geography if the deal make sense, with preferred return of 6% or better and  a great reputation with track record of very low percentage of failed offerings.

If you buy something newer, ideally brand new with a lot of amenities you will do very well with short-term rentals.

[We don't need the cash flow now but ideally we would like a place that cashflows and appreciates.

It's been my experience that there are no original ideas out there - and the very few ideas that are "original" quickly get what I would call clingons riding shirt tails (watch the movie "The Big Short" and you'll see exactly what I mean).If you're defining it as not following trends, I'm still not sure how that goes because people are into everything....you've got gold/silver bugs, you've got REIT investors, you got investors that follow master limited partnerships, you've got various aspects of real estate, etc., etc.Personally, I read and digest what other people have done/are doing.  

Ideally a cost per sq/ft.