They have overhead with staff, fuel, supplies, etc. 

I would look at other people's STR photos for ideas or consult a designer.We bought stuff from Lazyboy and they had a designer on staff to help us pick out stuff.

That is not true and it ignores the fact that an overwhelming majority of real estate investors do so passively.  

Is it an automated voice attendant, is it a call center where you are routed to someone else eventually to get an answer, or is it a live, well trained staff member?

No one on staff who had ever analyzed a commercial mortgage loan.  

It seems like every city, county, and state has its own rules, permits, and tax requirements for short-term rentals, and I’m finding it overwhelming to navigate all the different layers of compliance.For example, some places require business licenses, transient occupancy tax permits, or even special zoning approvals.

Allowing cost segregation to be another growing pain and benefit to getting better at real estate investing without feeling overwhelmed. 

I guess it's just too many factors to consider and it easy to get overwhelmed and cannot get accurate info and estimation when I conduct analysis (ex. property tax rate, insurance, maintenance fee, rent, repair, closing cost, etc.) 

Feel free to inquire about their staff qualifications if it's a larger organization.2.

Can $25k in more marketing or equipment or staff increase your profitability even more?