I would suggest not finding a stand in.

if vacant, does it need any work to be rent ready and stand out from the competition?

In a market like Joshua tree you will probably need to go above and beyond to stand out from other listings.

There is risk in both options & as an investor you need to weigh those risks & stand firm on whatever you decide. 

It's nice to see you standing for your members.I am not sure how they manage to stay in business and keep creating new companies.

As it stands, I live in the master bedroom, I have had 1 long term tenant that has been with me since the purchase and the other 2 rooms have been listed on airbnb and have found some temporary tenants through mutual friends.

I work with these two:Metro Detroit Property Management - Mark HutterNHL Property management - Howard GenserThere are a tonne of companies and each one has had good and bad experiences, so no one in particular stands out.One part of the equation is that the Detroit market itself is a tough place and is not for the novice investors.Only seasoned and large volume Investors make it successful in Detroit.

The 6.8 was some 65 miles south of me, I was on the 2nd floor of an office building that shook so hard for a minute that people were having problems staying standing up.

MTR stands for mid-term rental.

Share cropping with a retail farm stand/farmer's market is one, if it's the right kind of land in the right location.