@Thomas Polise has multiple STRs there, including one that is a four-plex in the middle of town.

People who live in an area their whole lives (most people), have a certain set idea in their head about the character of different towns and different neighborhoods.

Quote from @JD Martin: Quote from @Jay Hinrichs: Quote from @Matthew Drouin: Small wine town is all I needed to hear.Seasonal tourism is usually not a great industry in which to build a sustainable business.There are probably higher and better uses of your capital near high velocity metro areas.We have small wine towns near our city in the finger lakes region of western NY.  

I live in a very desirably town in upstate NY, refinanced at a super low rate, so will keep the house as a rental.

I was accumulating Condos and not town houses in San Diego.  

You can still buy plenty of things in nice college towns that make money. 

Our local towns and rental assistance programs really appreciate those that try to work with their tenants which has helped me several times through easier permitting processes.

If CAT ever left, the town would crumble.

I lived in a college town and student rentals did very well as did STRs for parents coming in to visit their children.  

From what I can tell, it seems like most of the very small towns in this area; tons of trailers, single family homes, no visible high rises or larger multifamily that I saw.