Demand and occupancy appears strong, but the numbers don't add up for me to justify the effort of STR.

If you have a strong management company here in AZ, that is key. 

When evaluating a property management company, it's important to look beyond just the management fee and consider the full scope of services and costs involved.For example, at our company, we charge a 10% monthly management fee, a $250 lease renewal fee (unless it’s a takeover tenant, which requires additional effort to establish a strong relationship - because usually people are changing pm companies for a reason), and the first month’s rent as a leasing fee.

Your experience as a real estate agent, coupled with your technical expertise, makes you a strong asset to the local investment community.Your “live and flip” strategy and focus on PML partnerships sound like a smart approach to building your portfolio.

It explains the team that you should develop to have a strong foundation under you while investing remotely.https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/core-four-real-estate-team

Are STRs in this area still delivering strong cash flow?

You could pay the contractors but if you can be a strong referral source I'm sure they'd be happy to give you estimates.

I'm passionate about creating secure, long-term housing solutions that balance tenant stability with strong returns.

The rent-to-price ratios in many neighborhoods are strong, and the city’s population is finally growing again after decades of decline.One thing that stands out to me is Detroit’s median home price—around $95k—which is far below comparable cities of its size in terms of population.

That's why I'm focusing on education first; I want to set a strong foundation before making my first deal.Apologies in advance-I'll be asking too many questions, just to warn you-but I really feel delighted to be aboard, learning from each and every one of you and subsequently sharing my own successes.