Looking to connect with people who understand vacation rentals on Lake Norman.

@Magda LipinskaShort term rentals will out-pace long term rental income - presuming you have a high enough occupancy for that to happen.  

If none of the other rental comps in the area have patios, it may be "over-improving".  

Farmer Insurance agent assured me that the rental property is covered from tenant and/or vandalism damages.

Here are some additional activities that count, toward real estate professional and material participation hours.Research market for real estate transaction opportunities; current office market rates; terms of financingMaking offer contracts for properties that you end up buyingNegotiation for acquisition of rental properties that you end up purchasing; including directing due diligence and managing financial projections/business plansObtaining financing for properties that you purchaseProperty inspectionsAdvertisingMeeting with Prospective Tenants/showing properties to prospective tenantsNegotiate, obtain, & review proposals and contracts with vendors (insurance, utilities, etc) for property servicesReview and Negotiate The Terms of Sale AgreementsStaging and Decorating3rd party contractor, vendor, or service provider supervision

My wife and I work together to purchase and manage our rental portfolio.

I’ve never charged for an application, I use 3rd party, such as apartments.com. I’d like to start charging for applications, and screening myself, any suggestions of best way to do that?

Not sure..you can try the rental tool and post the pdf to the forum? 

Are you trying to house hack and do a student rental in the other side?

However, there are pros and cons to this approach:Pros:Streamlined Operations: Property managers can integrate their systems more efficiently, leading to potentially better management and guest experiences.Experience and Optimization: They might have established profiles with good ratings and reviews, which can help attract more bookings.Cons:Loss of Control: If you stop working with the property manager, you could lose access to the listing and the reviews associated with it.Dependency: Your business becomes more reliant on the property manager, which could be problematic if the relationship sours or if their service quality declines.As an experienced STR manager, you're already familiar with many aspects of managing rentals.