It’s different down here.  

There is a distinct difference in the law between short term and long term rentals. 

A few things I’d suggest as a local investor:Know Your Markets: New England is a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas with very different dynamics.

I have not seen a significant difference in this area between section 8 and non-section 8 tenants, personally. 

We want to explore investing in different type of property or doing airbnb.

Would this still be recommended if I planned on investing in different markets? 

I went with a different lender and closed the next day.

Bonus depreciation done via cost seg is recaptured differently.

We want to buy an arcade machine for our STR that plays a bunch of different games.

You can cover the wire mesh with drywall patches (they tape on wall and across the wire, white/paintable, different sizes) as the wire mesh is what will prevent the rats from eating their way into the property (the covering material is cosmetic only).