Building a compset and diving into the details about the competition, cleaning fees, length of stay, and really, seeing who is out ther doing STR versus MTR etc. 

Its certainly not "guaranteed return" - thats a word to always stay away from in real estate (in finance or even investing in general)high level - its because HMLs are going to be secured by the real estate, meaning in event of default, the lender can get the property to be made whole - somewhat trust is involved, but thats the main mechanism behind it

Staying consistent is the key.

We stay there about 1 week a month and do STR the rest of the time. 

Makes an amazing shot of espresso, and pretty much idiot proof so long as you have your cleaner stay on top of the cleaning and maintenance.

Stayed the same?

This setup ensures that I stay in compliance with California’s FTB requirements.

If possible I would try to stay within an hour drive of one of these places.

Although it also depends on your projected usage and average length of stay.

Length of stay?