.: Quote from @Albert Hepp: I think the fundamental question buyers, sellers, and agents have to answer, is why do US consumers pay three times as much in commissions (5-6%) as other developed countries(1.5-2%)?

To have a successful STR I HIGHLY recommend listening to this episode of a podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-market/id161508...Once you listen to this, and any highly involved STR operator will agree, you will find a lot of the fundamentals are lacking in Kissimmee or you have to have deep pockets to hit those.I won't spoil the episode, but if you listen to it (and anyone out there that does) feel free to DM me afterward and I'd be happy to talk details tailored to your situation on if you're on the right path or maybe I can help.

Pre '2010', maybe just maybe it will lean heavier on the fundamental mechanics than specific processes. 

City-Data and Census.gov are solid resources, and sites like Rentometer can give you a good sense of rental prices.After that, I narrow it down to neighborhoods with strong fundamentals—good schools, low crime, and convenient amenities.

It is an urgent situation and you have to fundamentally change everything.

Now taht real estate has gone back to the good ole days of not being an appreciation machine and a good investor needs sound fundamentals in managing and overseeing the properties - now you are given the wave of "creative finance" which comes off as its easy to get a home but it will be interesting to see how these people are fairing in a few years of mismanagement of these assets. 

PMs get Realtor and current client referrals, incoming leads from their own web presence, and sometimes guests buy and become clients. 

Diversifying geographically can also reduce risk and increase long-term returns.For example, there are several markets across the U.S. that are ideal for new investors because they offer affordable entry points, reliable cash flow, and strong economic fundamentals.

5C's of credit are a good framework to understand the fundamentals.

I scoured craigslist, the web and facebook for people to do very specific tasks.