In my area there’s big hotels where you can get hired part time as a banquet bartender or server for events which usually involves good pay and great tips for a few nights a week.

I'm a healthcare professional and work night shift.

I don’t get calls in the middle of the night.

It feels like the only way to stay leveraged and sleep at night in this market.Out of curiosity — when you say you’d be “content with the return from your choice where to keep the money,” are you mostly referring to parking cash in equities until the right deal shows up, or keeping it liquid in something like treasuries or MMFs?

Airbnb is updating host fees, and the impact depends on how you manage your listings:If You’re NOT Using a PMS or Channel ManagerFee moves from: 15% → 15.5%Increase: 0.5%Effective: December 2025Raise your nightly rate by about 0.5% to maintain earnings.If You’re USING a PMS or Channel ManagerFee moves from: 3% → 15.5%Increase: Major jump, you’ll need about a 14.79% price increase to stay even.Effective: October 27, 2025Quick Formula:New Price = Old Price × (100 − Old %) ÷ (100 − New %)Example:If your old rate is $100, old % = 3, new % = 15.5 →New Price = 100 × [(100 - 3) ÷ (100 - 15)]New Price = 100 × (97 ÷ 84.5) = $114.50So the new listing price should be $114.50, which equals a 14.79% increase.

The top-performing properties are constantly booked and command higher nightly rates compared to the average of 50% of listings.$17 per square foot is right on.If helpful, here is a sample breakdown rule of thumb:Each Bedroom:$3,260 - $4,350Living Room Space:$5,220 - $6,960Dining Space: $3,920 - $5,220Outdoor Spaces and Essential: ExtraRemember: But It Right; OR Buy It Twice

You are defintley on the right track in terms of your thought process.Just a point of clarification/semantics:Short Term Rental - Usually a nightly furnished rental with perhaps a 2-night or 7-night minimum stay. 

For example, you can set it to require a 30-night mininum, but: -If there is a oprhaned gap of 29 days or less, allow booking for 21 nights.

We used to do granola bars, but we've switched to Kind Breakfast bars because they're similar to granola bars, IMO better, and being a breakfast bar, it makes for an impromptu breakfast with coffee and tea (provided in all properties) for guests who roll in late at night and wake up with no other food in the house.

Good luck finding something for $15 - $20 a night.