It is for the smart intelligent hard-working folks that understand success is in their hands, and with the right tools it can be expedited significantly.

A good way to get an understanding of how to get into STR is :STRATEGY: Start Up Guide to Short Term Rental Investing 

Quote from @Femi Alakija: As a newbie, I plan to gain a deep understanding of real estate fundamentals, including financing, property evaluation, and market trends. 

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.

We do that every day for free right here.I understand your paralysis.

Verifying last 2 years of rental history and income extremely important to find the “best of the worst”.Make sure you understand the Class of properties you are looking at and the corresponding results to expect.The City of Detroit has 183 Neighborhoods we’ve analyzed.PM us if you’d like to discuss this logical approach in greater detail!

Of course the listed price may not be the actual rented price, but by tracking several listings for a while you can gain a better understanding of the market.

my understanding is partial payment starts the process all over again.

From software issues that the manufacturers refuse to help you understand, to hardware issues like the joysticks easily pop into the machine when kids bang on em.

You don't need to know everything to get started; you need a foundation to build on, and the rest will come through experience and then refining your education.You can build a basic understanding of investing in 3-6 months.