The area looks to be a decent area for STR rentals and has potential to be a great investment if that goes well, we won't have a mortgage on the property so outside of taxes/insurance/utilities it should be easy to cash flow.

Figure out all the extra expenses of utilities, management, perhaps hot tub, internet etc. go low on income and high on expenses and see how the numbers look.

I opted to remove them and manage the property myself, utilizing platforms like Facebook Marketplace to find contractors.

But every day investors buy less than desirable property utilizing high leverage debt at high interest rates producing high risk of negative cash flow and built in negative equity.  

The key is to be detailed and consistent in your logging.For our clients, we provide a custom spreadsheet to help track activities more effectively.

Zillow will also offer climate history of a property alongside custom tailored insurance policies and carriers. 

Most of my utility consumption is gas.

@Sam Peterson You can utilize different online companies (web, phone apps, etc.) for this but if you're new to REI you could gain traction by making your own.

If it looks to be a solid deal then use your knowledge of which expenses should exist and if utilities are in question you can always call the provider.

Good LuckTypically multifamily is 5 units or more and Single Families are 1-4 units, so I was confused, so thanks for the clarification  Actually, that part is only half true because there are additional criteria that need to be considered to be multifamily vs SFR, such as separate utilities, heating systems, how they are attached to one another (Vertically vs horizontally), etcan easy way to differentiate and communicate is to call it multifamily if it has more than 5 units. and Single family for 1-4 units or call it how it is duplexI own several duplexes that are considered single-family homes by the city.In the end, it is your decision on how to use it