Wanted to know if it's possible to send a tenant to collections after a move out/ evictions for additional charges the security deposit didn't cover.

Subtract any expenses (for example, we provide welcome baskets for our guests and we pay for them rather than charging our owners).

AirBNB and Furnished Finder are two resources to see how many MTRs there are in your area and how much they charge. 

I'm unsure of what their tool stack consists of but I would presume it to include data associated with an estimate regarding how frequently specific keywords are searched for on these platforms (and potentially broken down by market).

It's a declining biz model.....the city is trying to crack down on them, and insurance co.s are pushing back on the testing charges (which is where the profit is).

the answers to all of your questions are... go find those people in person, which is difficult to do out of state unless you're traveling frequently to your chosen market. 

If you do NOT pay utilities and its the tenant responsibility than you would only be able to charge probably $1,300 - $1,350 a month for rent

It may sound nice to pay a 6% management fee but the extra fees can add up to be more than the other company that charges 10% with no additional fees.

Have dad invest as “silent” partner entitled to a return equal to the interest rate he wants to charge you.

The IRS will require them to charge a “reasonable interest rate” if they supply seller financing.