Just an idea that I'm a little surprised more out of town owners haven't done..

Thanks in advance for the ideas!  

I like the idea of out-of-state STR in a less expensive market.

You've got the correct idea on factoring in risk of an uncertain future.

Yes its a very bad idea.

This will help you close deals faster.Focus on marketing and lead generation to find motivated sellers—direct mail, driving for dollars, and online marketing all work well here.Know your numbers—being able to accurately assess the value of properties and make solid offers is key.Network with other investors and professionals—attend local REI meetups, connect with title companies, and build relationships with hard money lenders.Feel free to reach out if you ever want to chat more or exchange ideas!

Talk with other investors in your situation to get some ideas. 

City proper has been on 5 year bear market completely unrelated to anything political, the suburbs have been adding inventory since the summer but are still very low but any measure and have actually gotten tighter the last few month, while I am open to the idea these cuts could eventually have some effect on the market, about 20% of the dc area is federal employees, let’s say the federal government cut the work force 25% which would be huge, that’s 5% of the population, but a good number of those people are either two income households where one person works in the private and/or the person being laid can go get a similar job in the provide sector l, the percentage of households who would be forced to sell thier house over this is likely in very low single digits.

Instead of buying existing properties and rehabbing them, the idea is to partner with a builder who constructs new rental properties, then refinance and rent them out. 

If not, go with your idea of putting the thermostat in a control room.