See if you can run comps and narrow it down to the few that are in your neighborhood or as close as you can get to it.

Try to narrow it down to your top 3-4.

What this narrow group of investors have in common though is they know the market well because they lived there for a couple years.

Once you narrow down markets, you can usually find online on the city or county website the zoning restrictions around short term vacation rentals. 

Try to narrow down your options to the top 3-4.

OP, I would narrow your approach and focus down, otherwise you will go into overload.1. 

3) How can a person narrow in on the right submarket as the SNF has markets all around the mountain range (it spans 8 counties I think you said)?

Biggest challenge for me has been finding a property that fits my narrow criteria.

There are a lot of questions you will need to narrow down before buying a house cash.

LOL So now each of my LLC's that has a different project has to have the developers license. its a pain there is no test but its a bond and insurance and not every one can get bonded these days.I know having done a lot of work in Chicago how tough that city can be as well.. no one is going to teach you this you just kind of learn it.so bottom line unless this person has some very narrow niche // or its just a raw raw thing to motivate you  chances are there is nothing unique and I am not talking about getting rich with tax overages or some of the other things that get recirculated constantly.