Does anyone have any good advice or resources on how to determine an expected vacancy rate for short or medium-term rentals in any given area?

@Marc ShinRecommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

@Clemens GeorgRecommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.If you apply Class A assumptions to a Class B or C purchase, your expectations won’t be met and it may be a financial disaster.So, when investing in areas they don’t really know, investors should research the different property Class submarkets.

If you get the fee and can fill it in 2 weeks instead of a month, then you should be rewarded for that but it should not come with an expectation that there's no downside for you and they'll pay the rent if it takes more than the month. 

About what would be expected in the world of Wholesaling? 

Expect up to 15% on the rate and 5+ pts to the lender (you often run into minimum fees for example in this price point).

Regardless, though, expect higher points and fees overall because of the smaller loan size. 

I am not expecting it back to the 2020 rates but something more in line with 5's and 6's I would not be surprised. 

Insurance would cover it, I would pay the deductible, and no assets would be lost.If you are in an area like San Diego where people are more likely to sue, a judge is more likely to find you guilty, and the payout is expected to be higher, you may consider an umbrella insurance policy.

Similar with a SFH: I can at least get in the market with a 5% conventional loan not expecting cash flow but hoping appreciation will help me out in the next 2+ years and I will at least be able to put up the remainder of the expenses since I do live with my parents.I am young so I could be overthinking, but my end goal is to have a portfolio where I can cash flow enough within the next 5-15 years to let go of my job (5k clean a month).