Most of the insurance, exterior maintenance, water/sewer, cable/wifi, furniture, smallware, included.

But in the scenario I'm outlining, you have high maintenance costs, you put in lots of labor-intensive management and renovation...but although there's plenty of cash flow, when you go to the bank to refinance, oops, sorry, we can't loan on your crapshacks.What is the real value difference between having a property that you are able to refinance in your portfolio versus one that you can't?

Here's a breakdown of your options:Option 1: Buy a Duplex and House Hack:Pros:Opportunity to build equity through property ownership.Potential for rental income to offset living expenses.Experience in real estate investing and property management.Cons:Market conditions may make it challenging to find a duplex with positive cash flow.Limited flexibility if you decide to move or expand your real estate portfolio.Option 2: Buy a Single Family Home with Airbnb Potential:Pros:Potential for property value appreciation through renovations.Airbnb income could help offset mortgage costs, especially during the summer.Greater flexibility in terms of future use (long-term rental or full-time Airbnb).Cons:Airbnb regulations and demand can vary, requiring thorough research.The seasonality of Airbnb income might not provide consistent cash flow.The initial cost of renovations and potential difficulties in property management.Option 3: Rent an Apartment and Wait:Pros:Flexibility to wait for more favorable market conditions.The ability to save money for a larger down payment or other investments.No direct responsibility for property maintenance.Cons:Potentially missing out on current low-interest rates.Renting doesn't build equity, and rent prices may increase over time.Additional Considerations:Market Conditions: Keep an eye on the local real estate market trends.

In order to understand the city we must first know a little more about the State of North Carolina and how it differs from the rest of the country.North Carolina has a very low volatility with stable returns of your investment.

Pretty quickly after my first house hack 10 years ago I became numb to the growing receipts at lowes and home depot because I knew it was necessary, and that was cash was all coming back to me in the end.

If you know any lenders that go low as 30k or creative financing for the deal I'd love to hear it!

more than likely it will not help as you hope.assuming you are not low income or a RE professional, you are limited in the losses you can take from LTR losses against w2 income in any year.  

Im from Hot springs and currently have long term rentals, I know the market pretty well since being a local, it can definitely be a good str investment as it does have many attractions from historic downtown, national parks, magic springs, lakes and more but it seems like they are getting more strict on strs, may be best to look for properties already licensed or look just outside of city limits since no str permit is needed, I know long term rentals are killing it just due to low supply and heavy demand

If there are no pains and you're already low balling, they will be in no rush to sell to you. 

Someone who is a STR specialist should have referrals to all of the tools the buyer needs such as design, maintenance, cleaning, management, etc.If someone uses me and wishes to self manage, I will still set them up for success.