The system is what's really broken:1) S8 should have a time limit - get free housing to get your life in order and move on.2) S8 should have strong requirements for taking care of the home taxpayers are paying the rent for. --- We haven't seen a S8 inspection report in over a decade that required a tenant to fix damages they obviously caused.

I took a few years out of work to take care and spend time with a family member whp passed, so I have only been working for a year now.

For example, instead of an initial 6-month lease at $1,200/month, and then re-renting it in the summer with a higher rental rate, you could market it as a 16-18 month lease term (again, great suggestion by Tim) at $1,600/month with a "1 Month of Free Rent" special which you could either divide evenly across just the first 4-6 months of the lease, or prorate over the entirety of their lease term.  

For long-term strategies, a cash-out refinance is usually more advantageous, as it preserves ownership and offers fixed terms.To proceed, start with a professional appraisal to confirm the home’s value, compare refinance terms with traditional lenders, and carefully scrutinize shared-equity program terms to ensure they align with your financial goals.

I haven't done a HELOC recently, but when I did, they didn't care about the W2 since I already owned the home.

Be careful of the snakes in the grass.

There are literally thousands of discussions on this topic if you care to research them.

you have an easy house hack opportunity that does not have the disadvantages of an ADU.  

Be careful will with AAs.

I am just being more careful on the price because I know it will take five months so I want it to be worthwhile if I am going to do something like that.