I'm a part of local real estate investors meeting and I have some good realtor contacts.

Great to meet you via forums and will do!

Due to the popularity and scarcity of these properties in Nashville, it would be difficult to find a property meeting the STR requirements given a proposed purchase price of ~$300-350k.Additionally, your situation is a bit unique as it sounds like you may be living away from your primary residence more often than not, and as such, I also recommend you confirm with a lender whether this situation would qualify for this type of (primary residence) loan.

Events like this give the opportunity to meet and talk to investors from all over the country, doing different kind of investing, and with a varied amount of experience.

We host an investor meet up monthly in Alexandria, could be a good place to start.

Although it is possible to do everything 100% remote, most people I know who are self managing do come on site for a few days or weeks to meet and sort of interview the team they are building.You will need trusted cleaners, handymen, and also good recs for trades i.e. roof, plumbing, HVAC, etc.If you need home setup in most markets there are designers who will handle the whole set up for you, and I would want to interview them as well.  

You can meet your appraiser when he goes, maybe help clear things up.

one of my clients that has a pretty big PM company.. had a unique way of doing this.He offered 50% of the first months rent or 500.00 minimum.. he would have 4 or 5 agents at the weekly meeting handout the list of vacants .. each of them would go place a sign in the yard and first come first served.. he found that potential tenants would call the first sign if no answer they called the next one until finally someone answered.. it worked pretty awesome for him. 

However, you could look into a “construction exchange” where the funds are used to improve a new property acquired through the exchange, but it must meet specific IRS rules within the time frame. 

Here is my simple Top 5:1.Review the market – Understand the trends and conditions in the area.2.Analyze the property and the numbers – Ensure the deal makes financial sense.3.Visit the property – There’s no substitute for seeing it firsthand.4.Meet the team – Whether it’s your property manager, builder, or contractor, relationships matter.5.Complete inspections and appraisals – These protect you from costly surprises.If all these boxes are checked and the numbers work for your goals, then it’s likely a solid deal.