It's rarely talked about, it seems.I looked at some listing in the Research Triangle in North Carolina but the cash flow doesn't seem great, especially there could be a major assessed value/property tax increase as there was a lag of 4 years in NC.

So depending on how much you pay for it, you can assess your cashflow.

I appreciate your honest assessment and perspective.

There are a gazillion AirBNB listings, condos are a horrible purchase right now with all the assessments going on from recent tragedies.

As a new investor, it is very hard for you to assess risk. 

.- Cities like Toronto will levy another tax (Vacant Home tax) equivalent to 1% of the current assessed value of the property if the property is not occupied (rented, owner-occupied, family occupied, all count as occupied)- Land Transfer Tax: while the Province of Ontario charges anywhere between 0.5 - 2% of Land Transfer Tax when your transaction closes, you should expect to pay this amount twice if the property is in the City of Toronto .

I did a "blind" assessment where I paid/reimbursed a close family friend to go in as a guest because there were a lot of details I wasn't privy to- and wanted to understand (the whole experience and process from the guest perspective from the initial inquiry, emails, etc.).They shared the email communications (some of which was glitchy or not quite as good as what I'd expect, or told me of delays in receiving responses).

In the beginning, I would personally shortlist properties and visit them to assess the property itself, the tenants, and the surrounding area.

Not sure if you can file a complaint and ask for this to be re-assessed.   

Also, how does one assess whether or not one can turn a profit after paying principal/interest, insurance, and taxes each month?