This stands to reason, since this is what they are designed to do. 

I take ALL the TV shows with a HUGE grain of salt... they have some things/aspect to pay attention to.... like current designs and trends.... but its TV.

I've been playing parallel to the real estate industry for years in that I have built my own interior design business for 10+ yrs and 'flipped' each of the homes I've lived in.

I've been in the real estate industry for 14+ years, STR, MTR and LTR specific for 6+ years and have designed, setup and staged 65+ properties for owners throughout the US.

Are vacation properties popular in SLC?

Paypal has been the most popular so far but it has it's own issues (mainly fees and charge-backs).

Let's aim for the Holy Grail; a waiting list that works just like the one at a popular restaurant.

Certain project types, sizes and property changes require a design professional (Architect or Engineer) to sign and seal plans and may also need to sign-off at construction completion. 

I like helocs on primary residence because it is designed for short term use and the payment gets allocated to a project that will make money in 6 - 12 months. imagine if they did a deal with you, and after 12 months or so you refi or sell that deal and the family member gets their 600k back.

Consider signing multi-year leases because moving after one year will likely put you in the red.You need to have a checklist of items you need to be true for the short term rental to work (parking, laundry hookups, etc.) and not rent if it doesn't meet certain criteria...you need a good product that works for your operations.You need to be able to have a good design sense and be able to add value to the unit with your furnishings & overall design...again you need to have a good product.