I am now working as an engineer in the Twin Cities, but have plans of moving to Austin, TX with my wife to house-hack and work in the more plentiful tech market over there. 

While a 0-4% cash-on-cash return isn't ideal, remember that house hacking provides value beyond pure cash flow by reducing your living expenses.

Hi Noah, I sent you a PM with what I have planned.

We plan to use Airbnb for these listings and are wondering if anyone has any advice for starting up.

Best, but expensive and can still be defeated.5) Cameras & alarms - sorry, we're not paid enough to confront a thief in the middle of the night!

Lots of depreciation you will pay no tax maybe even shield some W2 income.B.  8k maybe 10k if you pick the right guy to lend your money to in interest income you will be paying much higher tax rate on this income FYI no depreciation expense. 

If the house has a septic system, especially if it's an older one, it's worth the investment to have a septic inspection done.This concern is particularly relevant for those planning to buy and hold the property rather than simply fix and sell it.

They are expensive, but that keeps only the serious players coming back.

A boutique hotel is a great investment, assuming your plan is the turn it into a STR hotel as well.

At $2450, it will cover those expenses.