The unit was crappy to begin with and this didn't happen over a short period of time.

Depends on really what you are looking for:-Speed - some HMLS can go "no appraisal" so can close very quickly and beat cash offers if you are in a competitive market to buy-Interest Rates - can range anywhere from around 8% to 13% (same with "points") but not usually as huge of a concern for flippers since the terms are so short-Leverage - depending on your risk appetite / capital - this is also a top concern for some (almost always over and above rates/fees) can see anywhere from around 80% LTC to even mid 90s LTC (including 100% of rehab budget)

I am about 1.5 hours from Pocono’s with 2 short term rentals there.

I have actually been considering Grenada's and Barbados' viability for potential short-term rentals.

If I were starting out now, I’d focus on markets that balance affordability with solid rental demand, both for short-term and long-term rentals.

There are short sales in there everywhere, everything's for sale and anything under contract is usually $100k or more below what the seller paid for the property.

It’s a short dead end road so I have this notion to own the whole street and control the look and quality of the neighborhood . 

For the short-term rental self-managers, how much time do you spend managing your STR every week?

Like someone else mentioned, doing a short term rental in a secluded basement that is very private and walled off is one thing, but sharing the same refrigerator, kitchen thermostat, etc. with a complete stranger seems like it will introduce more problems than what the money is actually worth.

There is no short cut.