It is helpful to know that many HOA’s don’t allow STRs…I am also trying to source information about the STR regulations in this area to target the right small house.  

Alibaba may look cheaper but ONLY if it's new build not retrofit.Cabinet pulls at Target designed by Frank Gehry, no wait those are out of stock and we needed 32 not 4. 

Are there any recommendations from anyone who have found certain news sites or data sources to extract data from that has helped them understand the current market landscape in their target area?

Usually, you're comparing your 401k portfolio returns (which are usually in a default target date fund) vs SPY. 

Here’s our OPINION for the Metro Detroit market (use as a template for your target area!)

What price point would you be targeting on the purchase? 

But, others could be, again, making sure he has the capital available and if not, set savings targets to get there.  

@Alexander Celestina are you targeting small multi-family or SFH? 

MTRs have a very different clientele who are the target avatar, so going back to the OP's post. 

Throw in a dose of imposter syndrome and fatalism and you have a recipe for some mood swings right before a property is booked again.From a practical point, I would recommend great photos, a clearly defined target to whom you are advertising and understanding the best pricing of an area really well to ake sure you get booked in a timely fashion.From a more meta perspective, be aware that these listings don't typically get booked well in advance (families displaced by flood or fire, traveling nurses who need a new contract ASAP, and construction projects that realize they need a speciality engineer on-site RIGHT NOW don't book ahead).