So much so, that according to AirDNA data there are 4000+ properties on airbnb / vrbo in this destination, though the property that I am evaluating has been used as a primary residence and has no rental history.

A great opportunity to evaluate a deal yourself and then see how a pro like Dave evaluates deals and see if there's any insights you might not have picked up on yet.

I went through demos of all of those, pulled together our evaluation criteria, etc. and then ended up choosing Hospitable (which we've been thrilled with).Thanks, that makes much more sense and frankly, is a relief (I started wondering if I was missing something, lol.) 

For the first part of your question even if you were working with a realtor, I don't personally know many that have a true pulse on rehab costs and I wouldn't make any investment decisions based on their rehab cost projections.My suggestion would be to study how to evaluate the Big 6 rehab costs: roof, siding, windows, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing. 

Efficient Renovations: Focused on high-impact upgrades like modernizing the kitchen and bathrooms, improving curb appeal, and installing energy-efficient features, which are highly desirable in this competitive market.Optimizing Layout: Evaluated the property's layout to ensure it met modern buyer preferences, such as creating open-concept spaces.

Evaluate their pricing.

That said, we have this exact application that we have looked at/evaluated with one of our properties (duplex) that has separately metered electrical but one central air unit. 

Every investor wants a 'deal', so you need to provide your lease and p&l to show them exactly what they are getting upfront to evaluate the property.

We will evaluate their portfolio, estimating the purchase price and current value of every deal they've done from the beginning of time.

We're also able to evaluate our rates, and keep pace with inflation, on a monthly and quarterly basis because of shorter term leases.Now we syndicate larger self-storage deals and work with passive investors.