The math is obvious but there's a natural tendency to go for properties you can obtain at a lower basis.

Without knowing the nature of your partnerships it’s tough to say specifically.

Human nature I guess..

When they ask the nature of my business, do I advise that I'm a real estate investor?

But from what I've observed (and I'm sure you've seen too), only a few new investors, who are more analytical in nature, do this.One of the issues that I've seen again and again is new investors putting together a "spreadsheet" based on their limited understanding, that produces inaccurate or misleading numbers.

You should have a good idea of every expense you have in your primary home, then add the STR specific:  (These are rough estimate numbers, depending on various factors)STR insurance - a special insurance that covers both the property and your liability, could be $2~4k in areas without natural disasters, could be more than $10k in some other areas.cleaning fee - approx. $50 per bedroom, so a 4-bedroom house will cost you about $150~200consumables - bathroom supplies, kitchen supplies, beverage supplies: $20~30 per week, depending on how much you providewear and tear - towels, linen, kitchen utensils, some furniture: $1000~2000 per yearRepairs/replacement for things that guests break or steal:  $1000~2000 per yearAlso, if your personal use is less than 14 days a year, the entire property's expense is deductible against STR income, but if you use more than 14 days, then you will have to calculate the proportion of how many days it's rented out vs how many days you or your family uses. 

Haha, not sure about the veracity of some of those comments, but I tend to be skeptical by nature anyway.

Buy something close to parks, nature, trails, or outdoor venues.

The nature of the relationship to me seemed exploitative and it bothered me a great deal. 

This is largely due to the fixed nature of ongoing maintenance costs, which become proportionally more impactful as the park size decreases, thereby inflating the expense ratio.