I still live in the home and have repaid any past due property taxes and HOA assessments.

is there an HOA??

College STRs are a great idea if you want something small, but I would look for small 2 bedroom SFH over condos just to avoid the potential assessments and condo captains (HOAs).

And of course, most homes have HOA's (homeowners associations) that can be $20-$250/month to pay for community maintenance, sometimes lawn care, cable/internet, amenity upkeep, pool, security etc. 

Stay away from HOA'S and condos(my personal rule)Pick tourist destinations.

We don't have any in HOA neighborhoods.

Any community with an HOA will most likely prohibit any short term rentals.  

As for a Home Owner Association (HOA), whether it needs to comply depends on its legal structure and tax status.

What key things should we look at in HOA minutes?

Assuming it's written in your management agreement somewhere that states the owners are current on all financial responsibilities related to the property, does anyone require them to actually provide a current mortgage statement, HOA payment record, taxes paid, etc..... at least at the time of the original management agreement signing.Recently had a new owner sign the agreement, only to find out after we had secured a new tenant for them, that they were in financial distress to say the least (inquiring about bankruptcy) .