I think its worth the time to and energy as it will pay off and if you end up with a bad deal it will serve as a learning experience. 

I just don;t have the energy to pursue litigation.

I would say if you do jump in without physically going to the area...you should definitely buy in a nicer neighborhood (I hear too many stories with new investors getting burned investing in bad neighborhoods). 

I have a buddy who invested in a project in Las Vegas that crashed and burned.

From there, our mastermind component really helps plug any gaps, answer burning questions, etc.

If it is built from scratch with a full fire box, then most types of wood can be burned.  

Your journey into short-term rentals sounds like an exciting shift—I can feel your energy for taking on a new challenge. 

I'm burning the boats on this one and making it an obsession.

@Jonathan S. you'll get burned if you buy real estate rentals and do not, "manage your manager".Even the BEST make mistakes and no one can catch every mistake.So, it takes a team effort between a PMC and an owner to make it work:)

Maybe they've been burned by landlords in the past and are being very careful.You can legally reject them based on personality, facial tattoos, body odor, or other factors, but you better make sure you can prove that it wasn't based on any protected class like race, religion, familial status, etc.