I like to buy in central locations near the downtowns and major freeways.

One of the major issues with Zillow is that their Zestimates often rely heavily on a price per square foot basis, which can be quite inaccurate.

Frankly, I wouldn't feel comfortable owning a condo long term due to rising HOA costs and major assessments.

Switching online services is unfortunately not an option because the large majority of house seekers use zillow.

The one place that still imo offers a good combo of being nice, being affordable and having a little upside left imo is the eastern shore of Md, I just bought a flip down there (though it’s pretty hard if not impossible to find great value add even there) but it’s affordable, growing (a lot of people coming from dc, New York, Philly area.) but still not really a big enough market that any major operators are out there yet. 

The positive to having the sink drain side open to the renters eye is they can spot water leaks before they turn into major mold issues and placing a pretty trash can in there gives it a home in a small bathroom.

So like the majority of investors right now, it has hard for me to find cash flowing rentals due to appreciation + high interest rates. 

LTRs are and will stay a major part of Real Estate here. 

I've actually talked with multiple STR owners in Hocking Hills, OH (very similar market to Red River Gorge) and they are able to get 90% occupancy on some of their properties with the majority funneling in through their Instagram profile.Another place to look for STRs could be Dahlonega, GA.

In my area, an inspection contingency means as long as you have a licensed inspector actually inspect the property, you can then terminate just by sending a release/termination, even if nothing major found.