But it’s been way too long now with lIttle communication and now have a vacant unit for almost 9 months already.I initially wanted to invest more with them, however really need to see major changes before I do.

The quality of the people that you allow to live in your property directly impacts your monthly profit and also will arise when the relationship ends. 

Hello,I'm reading Avery Carl's book "Short-Term Rental Long-Term Wealth" and she mentions setting up a designated business account and making housekeepers fill out a W9 and paying them through direct deposit or an online invoice payment platform.

The other lesson I learned is that the right fit for me in this investing process is to long term hold the properties I purchase, rather than flip them, unless market conditions are so good that flipping makes sense.Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Our interests are currently more focused on short term rentals, but we are also interested in many other aspects of real estate investing and looking to make a start.

Friends of ours moved out of their long term residence, a high end condo in Aventura, FL. 

Best part is that they would have VA's with different experiences and budget based off how long the VA has been doing property management.Feel free to DM me if you need any help or if you have plans on scaling using VA's.

Long story short, it is easier to cashflow in this market. 

I did extend the offer for them to break the lease but I expect them to reject it because they really want to stay on their terms (e.g. me replacing the carpet). 

Bret -For Long Term Rental, which I am assuming your Garage would be, you can take depreciation expense against the total cost of the rented portion including the construction/conversion.Thanks.