I went to the competition (competitor matched room rate) anyways and stated that I did not appreciate them lying and/or the hidden fees.  

Look for lenders with competitive interest rates, favorable terms, and a good reputation for customer service.

Competition is fierce, rent rates are dropping, expenses are increasing, and government regulation is making it hard to operate.

I am seeing listings sit longer in this market and competition is lower.

Florida is really competitive with short-term rentals and I've heard many stories of people diving into the market over the past few years only to find it difficult to cash flow with unexpected costs, rising interest and insurance rates, higher price points. 

If all your competition is doing it you probably should to.

Most businesses need debt to be competitive.

In a competitive market like Reno, NV flips are rare and generally get multiple offers and are in contract in a week.

Also, side note I invest and live in the Metro Detroit market which is very competitive. 

I think many investors are going around that rule in Baltimore City, so I assume they are doing it in other counties.Not trying to pick on you as you are 110% correct and understand you are just reporting the facts on the ground, just I think the logic about this, about “off market” deals is kind of off, like there are plenty of ways to make money skirting the rules, taking advantage of old people etc, and there are more profitable ways than real estate to do that, at that point your not really a real estate investor, your just someone making money not playing by the rules of your competition and taking advantage of people, which to me shouldn’t be considered “a real estate strategy”