Get a host and domain, some partner affiliates, figure out some SEO analytic stuff that applies.  

In fact what he should and can do with 4K is the most important thing you could ever do in REI.You invest in a website and you do SEO for that website.This is what you can get if you take SEO seriously from now this point RIGHT now.And you certainly do not need 4K to get this.I don;t think you really get this Mr.

Online Presence: Invest in a professional website, social media platforms, and SEO to ensure potential clients, investors, and tenants can find you easily.

I am good at what I do, lead generation and seo..But I SUCK at running a business.

IMHO the franchise model works better because it keeps everything local while still providing the needed online marketing in today's SEO race.

My business partner has some experience with building websites and SEO so we are starting to lean towards managing it ourselves.

Spend some time on SEO to get localize searches to provide results.

The first thing is SEO.

The reason is that a big benefit of posting content on your blog is for SEO purposes.  

As both a short and long term rental owner I’ll just add a few words of caution here...AirBnB and other vacation rental sites like HomeAway are great for the purpose they originated: short term rentals, but they offer minimal protection for the concerns of many owners needing to secure their properties for longer lease terms.As a traditional property manager I’m far more interested in ensuring I pull a full criminal background check, speak with a potential tenant’s present and prior landlord, confirm consistent employment/income sources for > 6 months, and ensure a potential tenant has a track record of paying other bills they have agreed to in writing like credit cards, car loans, and others.On the contrary, at best AirBnB/HomeAway/others give me the following info on guest/tenant: a blurry selfie (that could be their dog)confirmation of a non-specific government IDconfirmation of an email address I can’t seecurrent city/state of residencelist of reviews by individuals running a different AirBnB (that I have no way of confirming is not the guest’s best friend)Property insurance secured by (and in the interest of) someone who is not meWhile I’m OK with taking a gamble on unknown guests using my property for short term stays, stays of longer than 1 month generally involve: Someone looking to move significant belongings in with them (that I cannot legally remove in most states)Moving in for a period of time they’re generally unable to pay for entirely upfrontTenants receiving access only after a legally-executed lease, criminal, background, credit, and income check that’s par for the course in a professional, term stay arrangementEven beyond the blatant lack of risk mitigation tactics common in long term lease agreements, the fact remains that many STR platforms are also skimming 10-20% of gross revenue off the top of owners’ profits for little beyond the initial SEO and payment processing.