I get into contract in my operating company and then assign the contract to the new LLC prior to closing.  

Prices a few years ago were based on expectations of (in addition to interest rates staying low): - Then current operating cost assumptions (like insurance cost expectations being flat)- A seeming disregard for record levels of new inventory / supply hitting the market- Extremely high inbound migration expectations which are likely to not be met, due to both natural disasters and the boomerang effect when people from California or the Northeast move to the American South and hate every minute of the humidity, the large and relentless swarm of insects, and the occasional hurricane. 

If you are going to pay for mentorship, find an experienced operator in your market or better yet, offer to invest in the experienced operators projects and get an inside look at their process and systems.

Franchises work for a reason, but inexperienced operators are why they fail.

I learned from Dave, how to talk to potential investors, how to build rapport, how to answer questions and explain the company’s strategy and operations and the secondary mortgage industry.

This person pays one full month and now I am switching companies to evict them.The director of operations keeps getting fired and swapping with a new person and then they email me and dont even remember that we had already spoken on the phone about the eviction.I learned more about the eviction process by talking to other local brokers and property management companies who I wasnt even paying yet than I did from my own company.

Simply put, there are a limited amount of PMs that will operate in the area, so I ended up with poor management.

The tax benefits refer to the tax deductions from mortgage interest and property tax.The returns mainly rely on appreciation, and the cash flow only improves in the last few years, also depending on securing the 5% refinance rate.I've learned a lot from this forum, but as I start to operate on my own, I'm still not completely confident.

Nothing wrong with LTR's - but what I like most about STR's is you are (usually) operating in better appreciating submarkets. 

They are pure GARBGE. 3 months after they issued my premium I still get calls from their clowns to sign something and that insurance is not bound....I dont believe they are operating a insurance company, likely a scam artist to be honest  Sounds like this is an issue with their call center/in-house agency?