Sure it can work for some but it is an uphill battle and like @Travis Timmons said, you are losing out on appreciation...the Holy Grail...I would just start buying property, some may work as STR, some may not....but they all should work as LTR.

I recently became interested in checking out some of their new offerings, but as I was researching I saw a few things in the reviews for Kasa Parota in Tulum about a legal battle with some of the owners and locks being changed before hotel guests arrived.

You are in an uphill battle I am afraid if you have no experience. 

—half the battle is the mindset, and you’ve got that nailed.Start with the basics: understand your market, run the numbers, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

According to 5, the city has battled efforts to limit local regulation of short-term rentals.The state of Florida recently approved Lee County's minimum standards for vacation rentals, which means that reservations can resume in Cape Coral.

If audited, it will be an uphill battle. 

Margins are quite tight in the multi unit realm and ive been having a battle finding a good one - this site opened my eyes a bit - but have been battling to find a good deal.  

Now there was no mention of the engineered plans requirement for the 12+ requirement to my recollection, so I do call foul there. 

No harm, no foul. 

Fridge filter is like a lightbulb it is a consumable that they can get or not get, makes the water better or I suppose the fridge smell less but it is not essential.