From my vantage point as a contractor, all the big Architectural firms are run by lawyers and accountants -- other than awards and magazine covers, nobody at the top of the firm cares about aesthetics or quality -- it's all about maximizing profit and avoiding risk. 

I wonder how much style matters - I am planning to do something aesthetically that is not common in the area but definitely need to do a deeper dive into potential competition.

Aesthetics are SO important in the STR space.

I believe this could be a much quicker answer to my project, while still remaining aesthetically pleasing and durable for tenant abuse.  

I maybe would have continued the same hardwood from living areas to kitchen and gone with a different paint for the bathrooms, but that's my aesthetic. 

Finding cashflow will be in improving those market rents through cycling tenants and improving the inward and outward aesthetics as well!

Don't get me wrong; there are plenty of issues/problems/quirks that old houses have that new houses don't, and an old house can obviously have hidden problems and big repair/maintenance bills too--which is why thorough due diligence is fundamental to REI...but, the point is: a brand new house is not a foolproof solution to repairs/maintenance headaches (and in some cases, a brand new house can be a much bigger gamble than an older house).This is a particularly important lesson for inexperienced investors, who tend to be the most prone to "shiny object syndrome" (the tendency to let nice aesthetics distract from real, underlying issues).

Indio is nice but it's a different target market in Indio vs JT and a successful STR is predicated on being able to taylor the property's aesthetics to the target customer.

Now, I understand these other appliances have the aesthetic factor to be weighted in but when it comes to old A.C units I'll run them till the last breath from now on...

Good Airbnb owners who self-manage are meticulous with their systems and also understand that the aesthetics equal cash on STR circuit.