I attribute this to the legal system and more specifically contingent fee representation most plaintiff's rely upon. 

Unless you're charging bare-bones prices, someone will want to control their own comfort.

That you can secure CONTROL and MONITIZATION of a property via a fractional capital outlay vs it's market value, better known as a down payment.     

I believe most investors are better served hitting singles locally than swinging for the fences (and usually missing) in outside markets they don't know and with far less control over the day to day functions.

A lot of PMS systems offer free / inexpensive direct booking sites, but I dont think you need a PMS with just 1. 

Rent control?

When you can refinance and how much you can take out is largely dependent on market and economic forces that are out of one's control.

When flipping there's many things that can come up out of your control that can prolong your progress and therefore your investors might begin to get impatient with getting their return.

There can be big costs to join this group, but if you follow the system and need a lot of mentorship, it might be worth the investment.

Rent control can have significant implications for real estate investors, both positive and negative, depending on the specifics of the rent control laws and the investor's strategy.