It's that simple.Doesn't hurt to have real hardwood floors and A/C as well.

Keeping your cash flow separate is smart, but you might as well make that money work for you.I’d look into a high-yield savings account or money market account—at least you’ll earn some interest while keeping it accessible.

Exposed wire are a safety hazard and if they where missed by inspection  you may be able to complain as well.

These two contractors may not like that area, or just had one bad experience, so it would be great if you could explore more of what other experiences people had/have in the city. 

He's lived in Japan a few years as well (Fukuoka, I believe).

Hey @Grant Woodward, you can never be too cautious when it comes to guest safety like @Lauren Kormylo said.There are dozens of things at your STR that could cause an injury or worse so making sure all the ducks are in a row and quackin' in unison is one of the most important things you can do.Like @John Underwood said, make sure you have a rock solid insurance policy that covers the pool and adjoining areas.

I also agree that Akron is a viable area as well, but Im still finding the best deals in and around Cleveland.

You don't need 20% down.Sounds like a great plan.

new houses are getting sold for 600K, old houses switched to multiple offer selling model, just like some places in GTA.

There is lots of information on how to analyze publicly traded REITs as well.