I would never go on zip code alone for selecting a neighborhood in Cleveland as there is way too much variation within each zip. 

They are extremely similar in expenses and the biggest variations are management costs and debt service.  

Some lenders are happy to do a "rate and term" refi with no seasoning...but that is a variation wherein you take no cash out.

The floor is very uneven, as much as 2 inches variation among room to room.

Understanding these seasonal trends is crucial for optimizing your rental income. cannot agree. there is an off-season in Florida. maybe certain areas, but especially along the panhandle, you see rock bottom rates or some people even close their property for the winter. i have not seen the "peak demand and high rental rates". most in my area have very empty calendars right nowI appreciate your perspective, and you're right that Florida, like any travel destination, does experience seasonal variations in demand and pricing.

Rents range from $325-465/month (crazy variation, I know....)Here are the numbers from Sch E for 2016rents: $73,990cleaning: $510insurance: $4,868repairs: $1,364supplies: $3,770  (the current landlord keeps a room in the basement filled with couches, beds, end tables, etc, that he allows tenants to pick from if they need such things, so I suspect this is part of this number)taxes: $3,784util: $10,844Additional benefits to this property are: good location for the type of apartments; all brick building; new roof within last few years; had a fire in one unit several years ago, so all units were re-done and brought up to code by the insurance company.

Very rarely I see 5% split evenly, and never below that except in the small multifamily/commercial space where there is more variation.

There are many different versions or variations of active investing (wholesaling, buy and hold, BRRR, short term rentals, and many others), but what these shows do not share are the razor thin margins, the cutthroat world of acquisitions, and the many unglamorous aspects of the business that make it very tough for the average active investor with a W-2 to be successful with this as a side hustle.

My team and I have done different variations of ADU's small multi, and SB9 projects so am happy to help you further if you wanted to dive deeper into it. 

If you don't itemize you would pay tax on the savings account while paying off your mortgage wouldn’t cost you any tax savings, a tiny variation that makes paying off the mortgage “less bad”.