Also in Touristic cities like Paris there is a competition among tenants to get the LTR  appartment.

Avoid PMI and then go to a local credit union and get a heloc after closing to gift the money back.Have this as a tool in your tool belt but pursue use of the 3.5% FHA, knowing that you will be at a competitive disadvantage if you are competing with non FHA buyers, then you can call in the favor from your gift person.Just know that if someone gifts you down payment money, your bank will require them to sign a letter stating that it is in fact a gift that doesn’t need to be paid back.

My go-to response is always: Do you have a Move-In Inspection to document the home's condition beforehand?

This includes cap ex, repairs (will a renter leave the property in the same condition you hand it off in?

I've seen banks be very competitive with blanket loans that cover multiple properties and/or multi-family properties, e.g. 5+ units.Mortgage Brokers (obviously I'm biased) - Brokers have the ability to work with all of the above and can get you to the best lender for your scenario right away instead of having you waste your time with the wrong type of lender.

Alabama is very business friendly and there isn’t nearly as much competition there as some markets.

Collect cleaning fees and put more of the booking fee on the traveler if your rentals are in demand and it's the market isn't overly competitive.

Determine what type of property you want to buy - What Zip code, what condition homes, price range, etc.Contact 3-4 realtors that helped buyer agent buy the type of homes you are looking to buy.Then go with the 1 realtor that you connected with the most.

but I do know that the land used for energy development is not in the same competition with endangered and threatened species as the desirable land in CA. 

It is in good condition, but has a lot of deferred maintenance.