(it's the same last name as the applicant & her 2 children). 

However, last night after posting this I did start to do more research about the possibility of not house hacking after all.

Last question - Your agent is your buyer’s agent, right?  

Some properties just aren't fit for it and the owners spend a lot of effort because they want an Airbnb, whereas you'd spend less effort and make similar returns just renting it long term, or medium term.Starting an STR can seem like an undertaking, but as with anything, "Prior Proper Planning & Preparation Prevents Pi** Poor Performance".I found an STR group that meets monthly just outside of Indy!

Regarding your last point: you guessed right.

I looked at 6 houses with solar last year. 4 were so bad that I couldn’t buy the house. 1 was kinda bad and one was reasonable. 

But this is the last step I take for due diligence.

However, as a reference point the cost for prime, lakefront property in the area has doubled in the last 2 years.

For the last couple years I've been building small apartment buildings which lets me avoid the high purchase prices.

The last new lease I signed in December took us from $2000/month to $2300/month.