I think they will continue to see success in their niche but they should be careful about letting these issues become too commonplace.  

I am looking to dip my toes into rental property investment and find a suitable niche either in the Chicagoland area or Wisconsin (dells up to northwoods).

You're definitely in a unique situation, but there are some SOPs that apply here. #1, know your guest avatar.

What unique features of this property do you believe makes it a good STR6.

Most alternative investments work just like pretty much all RE niches work when deployed effectively.   

Rental property owners expecting high occupancy may need to adjust their timelines and rental projections.On the flip side, this delay also presents a unique opportunity for strategic investors.

Malls are uniquely designed so hard to use the existing structure for something else. 

The third property is more niche—a premium rental with a large RV garage.

Exploring AZ, TX, OH, and FL makes a lot of sense—those markets are active, and Florida, in particular, could offer unique opportunities with properties affected by recent hurricanes.

Quote from @Benjamin Finney: Chris, interesting niche on non-performing mortgages/ rtl's.