I suspect the golden era of STRs is over now that the masses with lower expectations for profit all want in.

If you happened to buy at the right time you were golden; if you were forced to sell at the wrong time not so much. 

You don’t eat your golden goose eggs for breakfast

(Arvada has some limits to this, but I won’t get in the weeds here.)In cities like Denver, Golden and Boulder, which require the property to be your primary residence (and in some cases also require a license) in order to Airbnb, I see short-term rentals as a great way to house hack while you live there.

Hospitals, Golden CO, Denver CO, Boulder CO, Olde Town Arvada etc. are all within a 20-30 minute drive.

@Greg Golden - there are many lending options but finding the best fit will depend on many factors: FICO score; dscr; ltv; value of properties; loan amount; leased or vacant; etc. 

My name is Brad and my fiance (Alyssa), 1 year old golden retriever (Sawyer)  and I just relocated to Mount Pleasant SC!

Hospitals, Golden CO, Denver CO, Boulder CO, Olde Town Arvada etc. are all within a 20-30 minute drive. 

My thought is, this is similar to a house having foundation problems or some other major problem where it's going to steer most people away but possibly be a golden opportunity for whoever buys and deals with it. 

If you're only looking for 40% - 50% LTV then you should be golden regardless of your credit situation.