Curious about the success others are having with these platforms or if anyone thinks Booking.com is becoming a necessary tool for securing STR reservations?

After a month of renovations, I listed it on the market on November 19th and secured a tenant with a lease starting on December 10th.

If it's made publicly available, understand that most investors have already passed on it. 

Can run thousands.And while this isn't an "out of pocket" typically you will need some personal liquidity and net worth to secure loans.  

Instead we recommend all our clients to secure their properties as they see fit.

REITs are publicly traded.

Yes it was , I have had this loan for 7 years now, they are growing the company from one into a RIET of 4 different businesses and the goal is going public once the company is in the right position.

I recently read people making up to 117k a year can qualify for public assistance in SF.  

I negotiated the FSBO and was able to even secure a commission.

May be expensive but they are dedicated to private lender law, securities law and creditors' rights.