The main issue is a consistent lack of effective management and oversight.

It will co-exist with other "new" payment methods such as google pay, apple pay and credit card etc, because the target customers are different.

This entire conversation in my opinion comes into play for a group or entity that may have 50-100 STR's where the branding will matter more but to be honest from what we have seen when they get that large they usually have lack luster service and subpar reviews- in the end someone that is 1031'ing mostly cares about that cash flow at that level and that's why and mostly only why they care about buying a brand. 1-15 units and a brand is nice but in my opinion wont break a deal- we are trying to do it but in the end its more for our guests to have a simple streamlined way to book with us.

Texas boasts affordability and business-friendly policies, but lacks some cultural amenities.It depends on your priorities!

Box sills, windows, doors, outlets, switches, lack of house wrap under siding etc.. 

Brand new investor - I wouldn't because of so many unknowns and lack of experience2.

Listening to YouTube big shots that have great advice on professional ways to handle problematic guests ( most are great but everyone will get bad apples), staying at the property when you have an open window of time and actually get the guest experience (this is critical), and looking at your click thru and conversion rates to get a good baseline.There is way more work to running an STR than a LTR.

Here’s the situation (personal details removed):The tenant reached out explaining that they’re going through financial difficulties due to an ongoing divorce and lack of child support.

Comparing this to oil or timber rights is comparing apples to hand grenades. 

While REITs offer liquidity and simplicity, they lack the tax advantages and control of direct ownership.