@Bryan Stengel, I think alcohol has been the tough one with the STRs, not sure about if you need license( hopefully someone will chip in ) , however there  always the liability part including but not limited to offering alcohol to people who are trying to quit etc.

Including thinking about moving your investing a little west into GA if the SC tax situation haunts you.  

You should be able to do a pretty decent update with $50k (purchase price not included).

I suggest gradually assembling a reliable maintenance team that includes HVAC, plumbing, and other essential services.Tenants are responsible for providing access to the property.

Would you share 3 specific things I should do during my "training period" (if it includes a book, which one)?

The law allows you to charge for ALL cleaning, including trash removal.

A real estate lawyer can help you navigate the specifics, including ensuring you don’t inadvertently trigger any unintended tax consequences.A few tips to consider:Check with your mortgage lender: If there’s a loan on the property, transferring it to an LLC could violate the loan’s due-on-sale clause.

The first is that there's no consensus between tax professionals, and the second is that you will not like my personal interpretation.My interpretation is:Until the property is "placed in service" - everything goes into basis.Illustration.You buy a property July 1st.You finish rehab November 1st and put the property on the market.Your tenant moves in January 15th.The property was placed in service November 1st, and it does not matter that the tenant did not move in until the next year.Everything paid between July 1st and November 1st, including interest and utilities, goes into basis.

I have a included a link to a PM locator tool ready to go with recommendations in your preferred area.

We currently own/manage properties across a few states including Hawaii so we aren't new to managing short term/mid term rentals.