The agents seem to think multifamily parcels get snatched up quickly because the inventory in this category is low, but this property also has some deferred maintenance we are trying to decide if we should address before selling or attempt as-is and reflect that in the price. 

Vivien - a 2-4 unit is great especially if you can owner occupy.

Especially for things like population growth/decline, economic trends etc.And what things do you recommend checking when trying to decide whether a location is a good place to invest.

If you decide to revisit STRs, you might want to explore properties where you can project expenses independently, such as using local STR forums or online tools to estimate maintenance, management, and occupancy costs.For networking and strategy-building, you might find local meetups or groups beneficial.

For example in many jurisdictions I can STR units in a duplex but cannot STR an ADU (some jurisdictions will let you STR if you owner occupy).

The 1 mile income radius could be misleading in either way to the positive or negative if the property is on the right or wrong "side of the tracks" so to speak.The 80% occupancy, if it's solely due to the mismanagement of the current owner could be an opportunity. 

All too typical park owner who took all the profit out of the park without reinvesting in the business then wants to sell you the potential he was too cheap to invest in. 

@Stacey OlsonRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

I’m an investor and the owner of a property management company based in Kokomo, with portfolios extending into the Indianapolis area.

The first apartments I rented as the owner, were previously rented by the former owner at $150 month including utilities.