I think the worst are the ones that will say they can do something for you or bring something to you then do nothing at all/fail to follow up or stay in touch (lack systems, organizational skills, and actual work to produce).

I think the best ways to check out the competition are to go on sites like Furnished Finder, check Airbnb/VRBO (for 30+ day stays), and look on Zillow as well for furnished 30+ day stays.

Many Realtors are bitter because you are effectively competition on what could have been their listing.

They're also expecting an official offer on the second property soon.If everything goes smoothly I'm obviously glad that my money isn't gone, but I don't think that excuses the lack of communication and inability to respond to LPs.

This way, you’re not at risk of losing all your hard-earned feedback and visibility, which could set you back in the competitive short-term rental market.It's essential to find a PM who can work with you in this setup, as it's a balance between functionality and maintaining your property’s reputation online.

Go talk to the the current PM....ask them about property performance, asked about rent bumps on upgraded units, ask about the competition and go visit. 

Their compensation is hidden as they build their compensation in to the rate, so they are typically not as competitive as a broker on interest rates, who has to disclose all compensation.

However, the substantial price increases and lack of inventory have lead me to start buying tax deeds, which Georgia is a penalty state offering a 20% (non-prorated) premium. 

Are interest rates and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios competitive compared to conventional financing?

I think given the competition this will be a severe blow to the Assignment only / wholesale folks in that state.