I've had 1 tenant stay for 3 years, the others have stayed for a year on average but it depends.

Stay patient, keep learning, and leverage this community for support.

Stay with properties at or below median value within 1/2 mile maximum of the subject property.  

Sounds like if I stay conventional then my best rates will no doubt be the 25% down options. 

Great to hear you had a plan, stuck to it, and executed it consistently.You've made the shift to the "I" quadrant, while your working friends wish to stay in the "E" or "S" quadrantsWhat are the plans now with your new FREEDOM?

To streamline design choices, create a design guide or "mood board" beforehand to stay consistent with finishes that match the neighborhood's expectations.For monitoring progress, a property manager can sometimes oversee construction, but it’s typically better to rely on the GC for updates.

In my opinion, your occupancy rate and min night stay seem in the ballpark for planning purposes at this stage.

.: My wife and I are considering getting a home closer to her family to stay in for extended periods and holidays.   

If you don't really need the cash flow now and you are going more for appreciation, stay local.

So the Janitor usually wins, defined as making more passive income than your expenses, because his expenses start off so low and stay low.Unfortunately, after you play it a while, you get to know what to look for, like when that one stock becomes available for, I forget, $3 or something ...