This ordeal has shed light on the risks associated with relying solely on fintech apps, particularly those that operate without a banking license and depend on third-party banks for processing.

My wife and I own 4 units and operate a 5th as an MTR arbitrage, and we definitely use furnishedfinder.com as well as AirBnB and Vrbo (min 16 day stay and no instabook). 

I know the law and do not operate my business based on other individuals that confuse moral with legal.  

That's just my $.02 but I'm sure others have been operating differently with success.As for neighborhoods, West Side, South Buffalo, Kaisertown, decent sections of Black Rock and Riverside, pockets of North Buffalo, maybe some sections of Cheektowaga are going to fall into those categories.

And, that is in a nice neighborhood where you can get $1100/mo for a 1 bedroom.Here it is: $50,000 rental income less CapX and Operating Costs @30% (don't forget you own 16-20 appliances that nowadays last maybe 5 years and can't be repaired) . . . =$35000 for debt service and return on downpayment.

These are all mom-and-pop operations, so setting this up was easy.

I mostly operate in VA and NC holding long term rentals.

After you find what city/state you want to invest in I would do build your Core 4.

If you operate an STR, gross income is your total rent paid by your guests, before any subtractions.To figure out your taxes, you take this gross income and subtract from it all allowable business expenses: marketing, education, technology, licenses and fees (including Airbnb and credit card fees), office expenses, business driving and so on.

We operate in a 40 mile radius from our house.