U have to understand the mind set of many people in these markets THEY PREFER to rent they dont want to own.. its not like someone on the Coasts in high priced markets where they have seen folk get wealthy just owning a few homes. and your not adding in Property tax and maintenance.. folks that are/were renters just dont have the same mind set when it comes to taking care of the property or the cash to do so.But until you try it and actually talk with those in the market there is no way of knowing that many of these folks simply prefer to be renters..

However, the best type of coffee maker for an STR depends on the preferences of your guests.

I preferred couples rather than families due to liability and damage.

I would check and see how many 1 bed and 2 bed options there are and what they are priced at because most folks will prefer the full place to themselves so rooming 2 people together could make getting bookings a bit more difficult (not always the case but something to consider)

They only want to do the bare minimum to keep places occupied, collect and distribute payments, and send out their preferred repair people.

In a few months I need to rent out my Decatur house and prefer one that's recommended, rather than stabbing in the dark.Thanks,Christina

I’d recommend starting with a property that needs little/cosmetic work that can be rented from day one, and preferably has existing tenants.

That being said, there’s nothing wrong with investing in blue collar areas but I prefer to invest in the ones that have a higher degree of owner occupancy because the residents of those areas care about where they live and have deeper roots.  

I would ask a realtor for their preferred lender and just go with them assuming I have a few other quotes and the lender is competitive with these. 

Obviously the numbers and location would determine which is the best option for me but these would be my preferred methods.