I'm an investor (STR properties), realtor, and own a construction company near Texas A&M in the Bryan / CS area but travel to the 903 frequently to visit family.

Focus on areas with sustainable taxes and long-term rental demand, targeting groups like college students, young professionals, or travel nurses.

Furnished mid-term rentals can definitely pull in higher rents, particularly with traveling nurses, corporate tenants, or relocators.

I'm sure there will be others with their own (and possibly conflicting) opinions, but for question #1, I always advise my clients to focus on properties in areas that 1) they currently (or previous) live in/near, 2) they travel to frequently, or 3) they have family/friends in the area.For question #2, the answer is going to depend on what you do for #1.

Unfortunately, it's now going to get more complicated:(There are two types of approaches PMCs use to bill for maintenance:1) In-house ServiceTechs on the payroll, so owners are billed for their time by the hour.While the labor charges above are useful, they don't cover the true costs a PMC incurs, like:- Payroll costs for FICA, Social Security, Medicare, etc. that typically add 25-40% to the hourly rate- Medical insurance costs for the worker- Payroll processing costs to handle all of the above- Liability insurance costs in case worker damages something or injures someone- Workman's Compensation insurance- Costs of vehicles and tools- and more...Typically the management contract will disclose the total hourly rate an owner will be charged.

., San Diego, and others)—making it feel like a “natural” choice for a regional traveller wanting to get away for a short weekend. 

Managing five rentals can eat up a ton of time in any given week, often at times that are inconvenient to you and your personal interests (family, hobbies, travel, etc.).Of course you can manage on your own.

@Tom Dieringer After purchasing my first property in 2024, I acquired most of my short-term rental (STR) knowledge from The Short Term Shop, which included maintaining respectful communication with guests, keeping calendar availability up-to-date, and ensuring high-quality listings.When I initially began May of 2024, I opted to list my property exclusively on a single Online Travel Agency (OTA) - Vrbo.

If long-term rentals don’t cash flow, short-term or mid-term rentals (Airbnb, traveling nurses, corporate stays) might work better.

What the local shop has, is what you get, unless you want to travel farther to see what else others have.