All of this said, be sure to do your research on STR regulations first and find a STR friendly location.

They are coming to your property if you allow them or not (you cannot forbid service animals) Consider the facts: https://www.dogster.com/statistics/pet-travel-statistics-tre....Top 12 Pet Travel Statistics78% of American pet owners travel with their pets each year.54% of cat and dog owners plan to travel with their pet.58% of people would prefer to travel with their pet over a friend or family member.52% of travelers base their travel plans on accommodating pets.About 75% of luxury, mid-scale, and economy hotels allow pets.In 2019, a total of 404,556 animals were transported by airline.Nearly 64% of travelers prefer to travel with pets by car.42.9% of people look for a destination with hiking and fresh air for pet travel.Dogs make up 58% of the pets traveling around the world.37% of owners take shorter vacations because of their pets.10% of travelers have hidden their dogs to travel.27% of dog owners go the extra mile for their pets.

Since you’re leaning toward the “reconnect with nature” vibe, are you thinking of adding features like hiking trail maps, partnerships with local guides, or even some eco-friendly touches to the property?

But that doesn’t mean that you can’t find them with some good old-fashioned shoe leather.By far the best way to find great syndicators to invest with is to get recommendations from friends and colleagues who are already investing.

Yes, there are times they do win and make money, but not on a frequent bases in my experience.  

I was envious of a friends big gorgeous fixers in Arkansas, and I reacted by over-renovating, holding on too long, getting over-leveraged and then 2008 happened and…well enough said.

And CA is extremely tenant friendly so it's not a great place for a rental. 

Now as I stated I'm not a agent but I do feel confident in this here friend. 

I was in a similar position a few years ago, but fortunately got married and our combined incomes helped us qualify for a larger house hack.We're on our second one in NOVA, Alexandria to be exact, and instead of rent by the room, we are renting out our walkout basement on Airbnb to monthly guests.That said, we have a number of friends doing well with rent by the room across NOVA, though they're purchasing homes with 5+ rooms or finding homes that can be renovated to include that setup.I'd recommend attending meetups such as the one I cohost, NOVA REI or Cashflow Breakfast Club or any of the others to meet those who are house hacking.

No reason not to use a top platform.Regarding the friends thing, that is dirty pool IMHO.