It's time consuming for sure, but you can look up the largest property managers in the target area and they will often have a website that lists the rentals they manage.

They are an over-leveraged consumer who has no business risking their family's liquidity so they can call themselves an investor! 

Turnkey providers should have a system in place to allow for modest revenue generation and developing relationships with contractors/vendors to provide those services at their cost with a small administrative fee.

Something to keep in mind with STR, that's tied to why REI is a smart game to play - control is the name of the game.You want to control the guests and rates (vet them in hopes of avoiding property damage, set rates to attract those willing to pay more for quality)You want to control the costs (furnishings, consumables, cleaning/repair/plumbing/electrical)You want to control the property (choice of property, location, financing terms, well or city water, septic or city sewer, etc)This is all going to be very hard to do, if not impossible, if you don't OWN THE PROPERTY. 

It's not that I've never met a competent buyer's agent, it's that I believe that the service they provide doesn't match what they cost, especially in this day and age where all the neighborhood metrics, comps, etc can all be found online.In terms of getting a license, I have a day job that consumes most of my time. 

More can be gained by going and doing than by staying and consuming. 2.

You should also call your town or county's consumer affairs dept.

I’m 28 years old and work a modest job with a mid level income.

I’ve seen the same pattern that @Frank Wong is referring to....a long run-up, then a modest 2-year drop, then a 2-year return to the previous high, then another long run-up.

We've consumed as much information as we can in the last month, but we're stuck on how exactly to start implementing.