Apartments are the least ideal living situation for us, so what if we got stuck in a multifamily property we intended to just be in for a short time.

These loans are short-term as you mentioned, typically 12 months, so you'll need to refinance before that balloon comes due.

Don't be obnoxious, but a few open ended questions may give you good insight into what your unit may be lacking and what people do like about it, to help drive future upgrades and marketing, and maybe help compensate for a shortcoming in the short term too.

everyone wants the distressed assets you're trying to find.the short answer to your questions is: start going to lots and lots of meetups and network in person.i would also think about house hacking as soon as you can. 

Understanding STR regulations in a market is an essential "must do" when it comes to evaluating a short term rental.

This creates a market for both short-term and long-term rental properties.Affordable housing, Compared to cities like New York, Washington D.C., or Boston, Philadelphia offers relatively affordable rent, or section 8 tenants, especially those who are relocating from more expensive areas. 

So infilling an income gap via people who can disappear just as easily as appear seems short sighted to me. 

I've noticed that going to brokers usually leads to the same wholesalers so it's not as useful.

It’s important to note that short term rentals depreciate differently than long term rentals.

@Asim G. if owners weren't so short-sightedly cheap, PMC's wouldn't be doing this!