BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.

Even if a software is free or cheap, it's the time investment getting things set up and then tweaking it for the first few months that is the real "spend".

A successful STR needs a good bit of cash upfront and if you’re doing a BRRRR then even more now for rehab.  100% financing everything and the rehab is not advisable unless you’re a very skilled and hands on STR investor.  

California prices are really unaffordable at the same time the state has consistently had outmigration of native residents for something like a decade and even negative population growth recently whereas Texas has grown substantially. 

Do you feel $100 is enough or should I raise it to $150 or even $200?

I’ve never owned anything in Ohio or even been there.

We also had the option of another type of policy that was even less expensive that would have required us to spend at least 1 night in the house and rent it at least 30 nights each year.

Legal violations and penalities(fines) even if you have accounting software to track the difference. 

BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.

I’m not looking for a completely passive approach, even though I’d be managing it from outside the country.