@Andrew Galloway The STR market is very competitive here with over 40k units.

We get offers accepted while they are LOWER than the competition because we are credible "they just have a better feeling about us".And why not?

Many of these platforms also send the same leads to multiple agents.Since most of these paid leads require work/follow-up anyway, have you thought about paying less $ for leads where there is significantly less competition?

If you haven't yet I would suggest looking at Furnished Finder and Zillow in the areas that you are considering in Northern VA to get a general sense of the competition. 

prices and rates are high and there is lots of competition for deals, both on and off market. 

Lies, lack of integrity, zero communication, mismanagement, poor workmanship and greed barely scratches the surface.

You 100% need a pool to thrive in this market, especially considering the competitiveness of the market. 

It's a higher priced rent but very desired location, updated, and compares favorably to others listed in the area --- and still priced competitively.

And while there are many ways to calculate the profitability of the note I created,  the resultant investment yields significantly more than purchasing an investment in the competitive market environment.A summary of the deal is thus: My partners and I owned a 11,000 square foot retail/service center on a main thoroughfare in North West Houston.  

I will say that the wholesale market here is incredibly competitive.