I had two short term rental units that gave me great extra income. 

Hello to all,First post ever, total noob. I'm in the earliest stages of planning to build a small 1200+/- sq. ft. home on my adjoining lot. From several contractors I've asked, I'm getting a  pretty wide range of pric...

If you prescreen and agree up front on what you will pay what is there to loose.   15 min of extra work?   

You added an extra hand to the pot.

"Policy states two humans per bedroom, plus one extra."

If I rent to someone for a 25% increase, that gives me one month of extra rent to offset the risk of vacancy in the fall.

Not only that, but I now have the added benefit of working from home, so I can put some extra time into my REI business. 

If it's not split out that extra cost usually eats any cash flow.

I agree, but as far as wanting to do the extra work in REI to affect the performance of your properties, for now that's great-  but at some point I think there's a chance you might come to appreciate the hassle free benefits of passively collecting those dividends a bit more.  

This seller might be good but they might not point the phone towards the water mark on the ceiling or such that makes you want to have the roof inspected separately or reveals a plumbing issue you want repaired.Many trades are still working especially on vacant properties during covid-19Finally, follow David Greene's advice from a recent podcast where they are writing contingencies to allow for appraisal's and extra closing time depending on what future measures might restrict key points in your closing process.