The real estate investing industry uses "Classes" to rank property performance risk, but there's NO agreed upon industry model:(Here's what we use for our Metro Detroit market:Recommend you first figure out the property Class you want to invest in, THEN figure out the corresponding location to invest in.Property Class will typically dictate the Class of tenant you get, which greatly IMPACTS rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.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.If you buy/renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what quality of tenant will you get?

I wanted to be absolutely sure I had complete agency and that I knew how to perform my own analysis over various situations.

You want a hustler, not a top performer, if you want check-ins.

I’ve found that C to B-class neighborhoods tend to perform best for Section 8 rentals.

.—(1) Whenever money is deposited or advanced by a tenant on a rental agreement as security for performance of the rental agreement or as advance rent for other than the next immediate rental period, the landlord or the landlord’s agent shall either:(a) Hold the total amount of such money in a separate non-interest-bearing account in a Florida banking institution for the benefit of the tenant or tenants.

Therefore, if you look at history, real estate has continuously performed in an upwards fashion while, like any other investment, has experienced short lived corrections from time to time.

How is my property performing compared to the local market? 

Point is, there is a new bar being set and if your not operating up to it, we are going to make your listing look like crap and perform like crap because were putting this out to the potential tenants and who'd you pursue and choose?

Quote from @Brandon Croucier: No need to be paying an upfront fee to a lender.As a lender it is our job to perform or we do not get paid. 

From what I’ve heard, properties that emphasize tranquility.. like offering outdoor seating areas, fire pits, or even something as simple as a hammock.. tend to perform exceptionally well in remote settings.You’re spot on about STR policies in Johnson City versus Knoxville.