Given the high demand for LTRs in your area and Mountain City's tourist allure, a hybrid approach may be beneficial.

There are many moving parts that can present massive challenges if not done effectively.  

The risk is very high when you are brand spanking new and you will definitely need to go through some transactions to get an idea of what you are doing. 

I’m a 17 year old high school junior south of the Tampa, FL.

Active Market High and/or consistent transaction volume.

One other thing to add- I would highly suggest making a rental verification part of your process.

We own our primary, own a STR internationally, 3 commercial buildings, and a 4-unit apartment building - so we are highly familiar with real estate but here's a new conundrum.

Hey looking for multifamily 20k down cash flow 200 - 300k a month c class neighborhood high rent growth potential  

I also have 11 other LTR doors in the city (also do extremely well).If you have a high capacity to save more capital you could do BRRRR's in Detroit.

@Benjamin WeinhartMy experience on this tax forum tells me that highly technical discussions of the Code/Regs nuances are not well suited for this platform.That said, my 2 cents is that this issue is a matter of interpretation.