So not bad at all.

You have 4 bedrooms so that seems like a good size home. 

Tenants lease expired, so I offered a new lease with a $25 increase. 

If so, is that recommended for a first-time buyer?  

If so, roughly what are you spending per sqft? 

If so, how?

If so, at least 30 days notice for the increase in rent is typical.

You can't call up Apple's CEO and suggest improvements, but you can definitely upgrade your rental property's kitchen to command higher rent.

i feel like the local FB groups will not allow me to advertise my STR there because they would label it as "soliciting".. any way to get around this so that it doesn't look like i'm soliciting? 

Two identical homes located next to each other would come up with the same value, even though House #1 was just renovated to a very high standard and House #2 hadn't ever been renovated since it was built in 1949.I always tried for an identical (or nearly so) beds, baths, sq ft of living area, garage and acres.