You're absolutely correct that you can just as easily go to any site and filter through a list of properties in your desired area and price range but I believe their value comes into play more when it comes to details that might not be readily available to everyone. 

I’m only two years into this game and I can be the sweetest person but don’t play with my money!!

I was thinking about really low balling the offer and seeing how it plays out.

Makes plays for both.

So it's really a play off the 10x cliche, I just discount 20% for the mortgage (sometimes higher than I want) and T&I increases.2.

Generally if you average 7 or fewer nights or 8-30 nights and provide "substantial" services such as tours, house cleaning during a stay, meals, etc you DO have to pay self employment tax.Kudos to this CPA site (tarlow. com/2018/01/02/tax-ramifications-short-term-rental/):"When property is rented for short periods, special (and sometimes complex) taxation rules come into play, which can make the rents excludable from taxation; other situations may force the rental income and expenses to be reported on Schedule C (as opposed to Schedule E).If you have been renting your home or second home for short periods of time, here is a synopsis of the rules governing short-term rentals so you can prepare yourself for the upcoming tax season.Rented for Fewer Than 15 Days During the Year: If you rent your property for fewer than 15 days during the tax year, the rental income is not reportable, and the expenses associated with that rental are not deductible.

This is a buy & hold play for our first investment.

So they're playing it safe. 

We saw a way to help out the seller in a time of need and there was a large value add play for someone who had the money and experience to take care of the major leak and mold issues.

It's an idea I've been playing with.