.- 20 vs 40 it all depends on your experience- in-state vs out-of-state ? 

It totally depends on what “1 STR” is.

In addition, you have to fire suppress the home which typically costs around $40-$50,000, depending on the size of home.

It depends on what your goal is.

Also, depending on the purchase timeline, exploring a delayed purchase refinance could be a viable option.

Seems like there's a big range depending on who you ask. 

This will be a "3/4 full time" short term rental / second home while I do plan on visiting once every month or so for the week/weekend depending on vacancy. 

This may or may not be possible, depending on your situation.C.

@Jason O.I've rented to over 700 students (under and grad) and I understand the market well.To do it successfully: time it with the academic calendarSept to May: flat price including utilities and furniture for max revenue, can include a cleaning service to keep an eye on the rental.May to Aug: depends on your city density and the amount of summer classes, increase the price to accommodate the demand or decrease it accordingly.

All these strategies depend greatly on location, layout and your personal comfort level.