I'm looking at it long term and will not need the equity anytime soon.  

They are exceedingly rare, thus very expensive, but I believe they represent an excellent long term steady income and store of value.  

I recommend people only sell if (a) you can invest the capital in something that performs better, or (b) it aligns with your goals.

Absolutely - East Hill is a really popular area for traveling heath care professionals, as well as military on short term TDY orders who are looking for furnished stays.Keys to success for my condo have been keeping the furniture fresh, and not looking like every other listing out there.

Perform a home inspection4.

I wouldn’t touch long-term rentals as the laws are extremely in favor of renters.

Florida, particularly Tampa and Central Florida, is a strong option because of steady demand, landlord-friendly laws, and solid appreciation.If you’re debating between short-term and long-term rentals, I’d say long-term rentals are more stable, especially with the recent saturation of Airbnbs.

How do these deals typically perform in terms of cash flow and equity growth? 

I'm a huge fan of San Antonio as an STR market, but it is, like most "mature" markets, very sensitive about WHAT performs well. 

Quote from @Joy Daniels: As a short-term property manager I've seen how this industry changes so often—new guest trends, tech tools, and regulations seem to pop up all the time.