I have a lot of clients that came to me after finding out their agents were steering them wrong.

That really rubs me the wrong way to play this game of "well we didnt do anything to fix the foundation so we are not liable".  

I think with all of them, the biggest factor is making sure expectations are set correctly and that your FIL is able and willing to lose his entire investment is things go wrong.  

I am assuming the 984sq ft is before the addition but I could be wrong. 

Pay above market rentIt is definitely a good business strategy for creating cashflow quickly, however you need to check with your city to see what their STR laws are because you could get stuck with a long lease and no renters if you do it wrong.

I realize stuff goes wrong and it's not always the PM's fault, but I'm trying to find a reasonable line in the sand where I start holding them accountable for the quality of their repairs.

I downloaded some scripts on YouTube but I feel it's not enough but I could be wrong anybody have any Recommendations??

I may be wrong but that's why I'd contact a real estate agent.  

If you're apologetic, it implies you've done something wrong and can trigger your tenants to feel cheated.

I've been investing in rentals, but no matter what you decide to do, a strong financial cusion to help ride the storm of things that will inevitably go wrong is invaluable.