Possible that your subconscious has detected an issue with the acquisition that you are not yet able to define.  

It alls depends what you define light to heavy.

This is just as important as every other aspect of the deal.

Depends on how you define scaling. 

Another aspect I have looked at is using the house directly as a lien position for the lender for the downpayment with private or hard money.

If you are looking to jump back into both aspects - lending and investing, I would love to connect!

I believe the examples you're pointing to were altered by the changes to first year depreciation by TCJA and the defining factors of original use. 1.168(k)-2 updated (k)-1 ; and the example in both references assets before September 2017 and refer to new assets meeting the original use requirement; not used assets.The TCJA changes to the requirements to be considered original use; or used but meet certain requirements prevents the carryover basis from being qualified for that requirement; and qualified to utilize additional first year bonus depreciation. 

Here are some common ones I’ve heard:Build enough passive income to leave your job.Use rental cash flow to pay for children’s or grandchildren’s college.Revitalize neighborhoods while creating affordable housing.Rehab existing properties to boost rents and long-term value.Grow your net worth and leave a lasting inheritance.Supplement your paycheck with monthly cash flow.Capitalize on future market upticks by holding and renting now.Your Next StepSet aside 15–30 minutes this week to clearly define your real estate goals.

LinkedIn, BiggerPockets, Facebook, join every group you can find, and start chatting people up.Finally, you can start posting on social media about what you're doing and do some education on an aspect of investing for free to attract leads.

That way, profits and responsibilities are clearly defined without making your friend a co-owner.Profit-Sharing Agreement: One person owns the property, but you can set up a contract where your friend gets a percentage of STR profits.