It does not matter if you pay a point or two more or your interest rate is a little higher, you will have the confidence that you are not getting your identity stolen.

My cabin is also positioned in a weird spot marketing wise, it would not do well as a short term rental as it's not fancy or equipped for family and not large enough and not the right long distance views to compete with the higher end properties.  

I spoke to my dad about locating money lenders and he told me I'm wasting my time because no one will give me any money if I don't have an income.Secondly, the people close to me are telling me that most of the money lenders are probably scammers, trying to take my identity, so I cannot trust anyone, And thirdly, my dad is telling me that because I am 18, I am at no legal age to sign any formal contract for any loans..

Just did a drive through DP the other day and the first street, I swear the first 25 houses were identical.  

Consider long term costs.Central unit(s) belong to you, are maintained by you, and you need to provide power and pay that bill.Window units, even if you provide them, at least place the operation power usage on the tenant.If you clearly note in the rental agreement that "the window units are a gift to the tenant", then maintenance is off-load too.Frequently, the long term costs have a larger impact to your PnL than the cash outlay for the equipment itself.

People I've spoken to have suggested it sounds like a scam, because the company just wants my details, then apparently they are going to create a fake identity in my name, and put me in debt..

Of course, being near Nashville is great for people who love a city with a unique identity, innovation and entrepreneurship, culture, music, food, art, nature, etc, etc.It's more challenging to find good deals in the city now, as it has been a really hot market, but there are still deals to be found a little farther out.Congrats on taking bold steps to improve your life!

ARV, and size of the complex... are there many other identical (or close in size and floor plan) units for sale?

Oil companies may also have a tie in with the equipment lease.The absolute best situation is to own the real estate, own the operating business, own the equipment, and have no long term contract with any gasoline provider, in a heavily trafficed location with no direct competition, and a high volume dealership.  

I'm closing on property #7 in the Houston area and for the last 2, have used an identical approach.