I also don't want refinancing risk, so any deals with only 3 to 5 year debt are out for me.

Spread between current loan rate versus refi rate?

At the end of the day, it's a lot of risk for very little reward.

@Chaim Mal, that’s a great question and one a lot of first-time investors run into.From the tax side, having the property in your name versus an LLC doesn’t really change how you’re taxed.

While the risk technically exists, the practical reality is that enforcement tends to be minimal, particularly when properties are well-managed and maintain a low profile within their neighborhoods.Across most major counties—Clayton, Fulton (including City of Atlanta), Cobb, Gwinnett, and DeKalb—rent-by-the-room typically falls under a “rooming” or “boarding house” classification, which is not permitted in single-family zones.

Without these two things, there are better ways to invest that carry less risk and are more liquid. 

- Going to guess that the payment difference wasn't enough to spur interest.Also going to guess a decent amount of people will use the 50-year mortgage and justify it by looking at what they may gain via appreciation versus renting and getting nothing.More investors may be more attracted to this product than average owner-occupants. - It will improve cashflow, similar to an interest-only (for first 3-5 years) mortgage. 

Hello @Henry Lazerow - You are correct about the risks of allowing pets in your STR; however, I've found that to NOT do so eliminates far too many of what would otherwise be good bookings.

The reassessment risk is real, but probably more predictable than in a rapidly developing area, like Woodlawn.  

Where's your analysis on how much you'll actually save versus the number of hours you'll have to spend for those savings?