A good freind of mine set up an STR in a similarly lenient area and found that they could focus much more on guest experience rather than the administrative hassle.

Hey Hey @Veronica Mitchell - The most simple advice is to follow the CTA trainlines.I personally love the South East Corridor of Chicago which has Bronzesville, Kenwood, Washington Park, Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and South Shore.That area will continue to be gentrified because you have the lakefront and CTA trains.Others mentioned NW along the Blue and West along the Pink, Green, and Blue lines.

One of the things many who think CA OR WA are too expensive or are anti landlord.. this works two ways.. and exactly how you describe it..

One of the biggest drug dealers in WA state history.

.: Quote from @Charles Perkins: Washington law gives tenants the option of paying the security deposit over several months depending on the lease term length. 

I believe it was either Tony or Henry Washington.

I would start asking questions about how the organizations you work with handle draws administratively and that should give you a good idea of how things will go. 

(And - full disclosure - I will be using a mail forwarding address also and only occasionally actually hosting meetings at that location... it's like a 'WeWork' space, I generally work from home and my managers are on-site at the parks...)To everyone's continued success, and due diligence,-jl-do you know the Taylors I think they are SF based I sold them one of my parks a decade ago.. it was in Vancouver WA.. 

The next RE play is going to be building ammo stores on the interstate and state lines between CA and NV and Oregon and WA and ID..

I hope the new administration will put an end to this nonsense and focus on going after criminals again.