If you do choose to invest remotely, go meet your team in person.

We are choosing new build because A) our family 4 has a certain size demand B)  the price-quality ratio doesn't seem to make sense when considering a preexisting home C) with interest rates being at near 8% with preexisting homes, builders are offering 5.99% interest rates and the exact home we are looking at is about $75K discounted because it's a spec home and the builder doesn't want to pay taxes on it.So, live in it for 5-6 years hopefully rent it out with a fully finished basement for potentially $4,200 in 5-6 years.

And what rental model you choose is just about covering as much as you can -- and hopefully making a little -- as you hold on to it, but to me again, that's secondary to the long-haul.Good luck!

For example, if the brick property is located in an area with high crime and other factors that make the area less desirable, it may be better to choose the vinyl property.

It’s crucial to have a clear plan and build a support network, whether you choose to invest locally or out-of-state.

. - Patience & Tenacity: These qualities might seem contradictory but at least here on the coast, there isn't a lot of STR inventory to choose from.

If there's not much else "wrong" with the property (or if it's relatively new), you might choose to go ahead and pay a plumber to get it over with.Definitely use polybutylene pipes as a "negative" when negotiating the purchase price.With inflation, tradespeople retiring, and the growing population moving to the area, it might well be less expensive to have them switched out sooner rather than later. 

Instead of blaming "people" who just want gurus, you need to first understand what makes them motivated (yes, anyone can be motivated by another person) to choose a "guru" class as you call it vs. a team of coaching experts.  

It's important to choose that one and commit to using it.

I'm not sure if this could be a major factor for someone like me in choosing an area to invest, but the statistics suggest that Huntsville has a lower overall vacancy rate.