It's great to hear that Rich Dad Poor Dad inspired you, it’s a classic for getting into the real estate mindset.

and yes, almost nothing cash flows right now unless it's some kind of creative or risky or non-traditional strategy.  

Traditionally from what I have seen HELOCs are always interest only and usually variable.

You can then avoid hard money lenders and go with a traditional bank.

It has a lower turnover than STR but can bring in higher rent than traditional leases.Co-Living Arrangements: Renting rooms individually on a month-to-month basis could generate more income than a single long-term lease while reducing management hassle.Furnished Long-Term Rental: A furnished rental could allow for higher rent and attract tenants who don’t want the STR commitment but still value flexibility.Partner with a Local Boutique STR Manager: Some local companies manage STRs with lower fees than Airbnb's traditional managers and could help keep profits up without 20% fees.Hope that helps you with your decision!

There are plenty of investors in bay area who got rich by holding negative cash flow properties over long time.

People who have money may prefer to seller finance but if someone is retiring they most likely don’t care about a higher sales price they want to avoid the riskYou mention ou have a 100% close rate - then why not just buy it was traditional financing if you really want the deal?

I'm in the Houston area and looking to list my property as a midterm rental before going the traditional lease route.

I truly cant think of a reason why I would ever go back to traditional renting 

I would never do a commercial loan with shorter amortization and balloon payment. yes lower rates for now, but you have to do a refi at some point and if you do all of your loans on shorter terms, you will not be able to access as much traditional financing potentially.