Ohio and Alabama for low property prices but stabilized rents that cash flow well, while the Carolinas provide some unique areas with higher value homes but rents that have somewhat kept up. 

I have a unique situation where a long time family friend inherited a single family house in Jersey City from her deceased mother.  

House hacking is a possible alternative, but given California's high real estate values, investigating other areas may be a good decision.Houston, TX is frequently seen as a favourable alternative for out-of-state real estate investing for various reasons: Diverse Economy, Population Growth, Affordability, Landlord-Friendly Laws, Job Opportunities etcRemember that success in out-of-state investing often involves ongoing communication, local support, and adapting to the unique aspects of the chosen market.Good luck!

Given the unique circumstances and the specific changes made to the property, offering the price the owner was asking before the remodel seems like a fair starting point. 

Balancing college and athletics can indeed be a challenge, but it's also a unique advantage. 

Yeah, assuming their needed down payment for the next house, I'm thinking they might be stretching themselves a bit to qualify for the next house.

Not hacks exactly, yours were great....but I believe that the two most important are 1) Being super clean, you almost can't be clean enough, 2) Be unique.....Set yourself apart from the competition.Beyond that, just be fairly priced (esp on cleaning) and limit the extra charges, I always just pass when the fees start to add up....

You need to create a UNIQUE value proposition, and in the world of STRs, that not only comes from many areas: namely the property's ability to capture attention on the platform and the guest experience from response times to questions or booking confirmations, to comfort of mattress and towels, to enough toilet paper being on site, through to checkout requirements.

Every submarket/micromarket is so unique, it's hard to know what your's can support when it comes to retail, and what it would be like to deal with those types of tenants, especially small business owners who may operate on a razor thin margin, like most food/coffee businesses do. 

But, you need to have a well marketed, unique property.