That feeling of selling a product that you may or may not feel 100 percent about i feel comes with a lot of the aspects in REI, I think you deff should not invest big money ie.

If you’re just starting out, you might find, as I did, your goals will change, but spending some time and rally defining your immediate goals should reveal if you want to be in this niche or not.  

There are a lot of different aspects you can bring to a partnership other than money. 15k might be the perfect amount of cash if you were able to contribute by being boots on the ground, meeting with contractors, property managers...As for going at it on your own, I don't know the price of things there but you probably could do some house hacking with that much cash.

Not suggesting this will be the outcome in every instance, but concur with others that you may want to consider holding if the other aspects / fundamentals of your market remain attractive.

You make a good point @Matt Katsaris,  I know you're correct,  a 15 dollar an hour employee will definately cost me more than 15, but at the same time I should be able to write off their wages.

Hi Cynthia Craft First, I would define your strategy.

As the business owner, you must focus on the interactive, strategic, and creative aspects of your work – the high leverage activities that only YOU can do.Everything else should be delegated.The first step?

What exact aspect of this type of transaction are you looking for?  

Insurance is one of the most important aspects of starting up a short-term rental, and it's one of the most overlooked issues.In my experience, it's almost a sure bet that your normal insurance carrier will NOT cover you for any claim arising out of an Airbnb-style short-term rental.

As you stated, there are many aspects that can impact an approval, and the info on your credit report is a critical part of that.