Trust me, I have been there.I suggest you try to House hack in cities that you are already familiar with and have some connection with.Hire a great investor agent in that market and ask them all your questions and concerns.That I believe is the best way to get personalized advice tailored to your goals and lifestyle.You giving out Cleeveland and Toledo on your post will only attract biased opinions and advise.Only you know what you truly like, want, and can deal with.As Nicolas said, read this post and comments and hope that gives you a new perspective. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/12/topics/1215726-break...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/963/topics/1195280-expe...https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/1137397-balti...Goodluck and keep us posted.

Now, either I'm not posting in the right places of i.e Cragslist / BP etc or my ads aren't as well constructed as I think they would be to attract motivated sellers.

As a result, this isn’t the kind of market that attracts top-tier PM talent.Your best solution might be to either:1.Take on self-management if possible (and if you’re willing to put in the time/effort).2.Find an individual you can trust to handle these properties, set up very specific instructions and processes, micro-manage them initially to ensure standards are met, and compensate them well to make it worth their while.This approach requires more oversight on your part but can yield better results in markets like this.

However, I constantly see syndications advertising very attractive return.  

You have to attract interested parties that are willing to sell you their property cheaply because they need to vacate ownership for one reason or another.

By positioning the property effectively and highlighting its strengths, we attracted motivated buyers quickly, ensuring a successful sale without the need for renovations.

On the other hand, if you’re financially secure, the low-rate loan and potential appreciation make holding more attractive.

The property has an amazing creek canyon (attached photo) is 5 miles from all the major attractions to Yosemite, and 7 miles from a lake.

I realize this comes with the STR business but if I'm going to continue to use VRBO I need to find away to attract the "good" guests and minimize the bad ones.

A 4-bed, 3-bath rambler with a large lot in a high-demand area is bound to attract buyers.