Even if it takes longer to pay off, having a steady, reliable tenant might actually be less stressful than managing an STR.FYI - consider starting with a regular rental but structuring it as a 6-12 month lease.

Partner Driven’s efficient project management ensured on-time, cost-effective improvements.

Find a local property management company that does the bigger cabins and they'll help you identify the right build choices to help maximize your rents.

I manage a lot of properties 5 mins from Clearwater Beach and I just use the stock photos :)

Quote from @Devin James: True, but it's foolish to invest without a basic understanding of how to purchase and manage the investment.

I'm thinking about submitting an offer on a property, where the selling agent is also the property manager.

Also want to add that she had multiple violations such as having a dog with her while her contract states no pets and she was contacting repair facilities and acting as my agent or pretending to be a property owner and interfering with repair process. 

Conversely keep in mind the prevailing "average" for Property Management fee is 7%+.

There are a handful of gulf front complexes that still cash flow positively but you need to be very careful as to which complex you choose as not all complexes and especially HOA's are created or managed equally. 

Since we don't use Padsplit and manage everything ourselves, we simply call it co-living.