2) Many flat fee PMC's charge whether property vacant or occupied, tenant paying or not.Lots of games also played with Maintenance fees.

There is a saying "if you've been sitting at the poker table for more than 15 minutes and you don't know who the patsy is...then you're the patsy".

Good listings are a people game, not anything you have at the bottom of your post.

.#1 NUMBERS GAME:  It's not easy.   

My wife ordered a kid size pool table from China for our STR and they sent ear muffs.

Will they finance 100% of the purchase and renovation or will they want skin in the game (you putting money in).Most do not do 100% funding so beore going down more rabbit holes, make sure you have the $ aspect situated first.

Thankfully, I come from a close-knit family who believed in me.That second investment turned out to be a game-changer.

So I require skin in the game (average is 5% to 15%) to offset this.

A small multifamily property is a smart choice for a first investment—it offers a great balance of income potential and manageable scale for someone new to the space.Don’t worry about being ambitious; it’s clear you’ve done your homework, and you’re already ahead of the game by setting a clear goal.

Quote from @Michael Baum: Hey @David Rutledge, the purchase of a small hotel is a very different animal than SFHs for STRs.Like @Luke Carl said, you will have to have some significant skin in the game.