That said, I live in Texas, and I have found that the property taxes and insurance are prohibitively high to make a short term rental work here.

There are monthly mortgage, taxes, HOA dues and insurance expenses each month, however this still generates great cash flow every month.

We're getting nailed in auto insurance too.Any ideas why these states?

Add another $300 or so for taxes and insurance and you're at $2465 PITI. 

MM$ projects with 25% ROI monthly payouts - payback with 25% ROI within 5 years Invest and payback gets you 100% vested in 50% of MM life insurance policy Invest and reinvest (partner) gets you 100% vested in 100% of MM life insurance policy

Management & Leasing FeesManagement Fee: 10% of the monthly rent = $180/monthLeasing Fee (Tenant Placement): 60% of one month’s rent = $1,080 (one-time)Lease Renewal Fee: $250 per lease renewalUpfront & Annual FeesOnboarding Fee: $350 (one-time for setting up the property)Annual Administrative Fee: $45 per year (for statements and 1099s)Reserve Fund Requirement: $300 (held for maintenance and expenses)Maintenance & RepairsOrdinary Maintenance: Any repair costs exceeding $300 require owner approval.Emergency Repairs: Up to $300 without prior approval; HVAC, plumbing, and electrical repairs can go up to $500 without approval.Home Warranty Claim Handling: $40 per claim (if applicable).Multiple Quotes Request Fee: $100 per request if you require multiple vendor quotes.HVAC Filter Supply Fee: $195 per year per HVAC unit.Repairs & Improvements: 10% markup over vendor invoice cost.Additional FeesInterest on Unpaid Sums: 10% late fee with a $39 minimum per month.Paper Check Administrative Fee: $20 per check if not using direct deposit.Insurance Documentation Penalty: $40 per month if proof of insurance is not provided.Eviction Protection Program (Optional): $15/monthProperty Damage Protection Program (Optional): $25/monthTermination FeesEarly Termination Fee: Equal to the management fees for the remaining lease term.Vacant Property Termination Fee: $500 if no tenant is in place.Transfer to Another Manager: $500 file transfer fee. 

Insurance was really created for catastrophic events (fire, flood, etc) not for small claims.

This is in the east side of Buda in 78610Property price is around 340,000 and the monthly payment for 80% mortgage at 7.125% with property taxes (2.32%), HOA and Insurance comes out to around 2,600$Rental comps suggest around 2200$ gross monthly rent. 

On FHA and conventional, when you put less than 20% down, they hit you with Mortgage Insurance which can eat up any cashflow.

The cashflow should cove ALL of the expenses for the primary (mortgage, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc) AND put money in their pocket.