I routinely monitor my STR 600 miles away from me.

None of these things will bring success tomorrow, but with doing them consistently every day, I will wake up in 5,10,20,30,40,60 years and be miles ahead of everyone else.2) Never stop learningThere is only growth or decay, there is no middle ground.

I got my first FHA  3.5% down  4-unit building in Tilton, NH (An hour and a half north of Boston).

I could probably contact the president of North Korea sooner than I could find a good plumber in Japan. 

Quote from @Brandon Foster: Hello Ryan,STR is do able in the north county area but there are a lot of rules and regulations.The city of Oceanside right now will not allow anything STR unless it’s west of pacific coast hwy.This is changing a lot too so you need to be aware of that in your plans.Carlsbad is super strict too but there are some condos that are still available to do STR in.Medium term rentals are as safer bet but way less profitable.

Sam mentioned markets in North Alabama that may work much better right now than Huntsville and Madison, so I would definitely explore them. 

I heard North Tonawanda is good place.

I'm advising folks to keep a close eye on Clay, Cicero, North Syracuse, the neighborhoods including and surrounding Eastwood, and the neighborhoods by the university.

Where in North City did you buy this house? 

It's not the best setup nor the best part of town, but you can make it work.