This is very similar to my schedule (some of the bulleted content you have may vary or be included with other messages) but since I've also starting using Airbnb recently as a guest ( a lot ) it is interesting to see what hosts do and this does feel like a lot (hence the contradiction).  

Yes, demand is there, but price points vary. 

this can vary from 25%-75%.   

I use it daily and find the results vary by property from very accurate to wildly inaccurate. 

It relied on everything going right and nothing bad ever happening. 

Of course it would vary depending on the property.I'd love to continue to invest in the Madison area as I've worked in the industry here for over 5 years.

I rely on AirDNA mostly for that

I personally wont give a wholesaler a non refundable deposit.. if the deal cant close for some reason they will normally ghost you.. this is probably new western or one of those outfits.. who rely on FOMO high pressure to get the deposits up front and released like that.

Varied perspectives help in making sound decision.

Key lessons learned: use a cost-per-square-foot estimate from previous projects rather than relying solely on GC quotes, as they often underbid but end up costing more in the long run.The property is under a 2-year lease at $1,750/month.