I am finding even though you dont really hit the rules that are on BP. 1%  2% was 10 years ago.no income tax. and property Taxs half or more of other markets so cash flow is not as bad as some would think when you add that all in. plus late model houses which are all built with stucco siding and tile roofs and NO hail  and desert landscaping and soil that does not move..

I own 1 short term rental property out in a desert city and am looking to expand my portfolio and cash flow.

----There are lots of owners that make remote management work, if you can build a local team, and are OK being always available via your phone.If you need a good realtor referral let me know, I am working with an agent that has first-hand experience managing hundreds of homes through the desert cities. 

I'm a new investor living in the High Desert area looking to fix and flip.

Property is located in Central CA Desert where it is very hot during summers and very cold in the winters.

This is a major 2 week event in the desert.

And if you are talking Palm Desert or Hemet, I really struggle to see that.

@Sharlene Mulchandani, thank you for your recommendation, that would be a good way of mitigating potential “deserters” from the room mates and loss of rent payments

right.So with that being said it was only 4 generations ago my people were not able to own land, it was 3 generations ago we were forced to own is redlined parts of the city and IF (this is a MAJOR if) If our people were even given a loan from the bank to purchase the home , they were ridiculed and ousted by the community for simply chasing the "American dream".This is what we mean when we say SYSTEMATIC racism has held the black community back longer than most even comprehend, underfunded schools, under represented political, medical, and educational positions, food deserts, nepotism in the workplace, crack in the 80s, disproportionate policing and imprisonment, the list goes on and on.

I have investor clients in the high desert who ask all the questions so I'm familiar with what you can and cannot do, STR-wise.