I am looking to buy a lots / land in O' Fallon , Missouri .

Vacation rental owners should be on all four listing sites.

Here is my simple Top 5:1.Review the market – Understand the trends and conditions in the area.2.Analyze the property and the numbers – Ensure the deal makes financial sense.3.Visit the property – There’s no substitute for seeing it firsthand.4.Meet the team – Whether it’s your property manager, builder, or contractor, relationships matter.5.Complete inspections and appraisals – These protect you from costly surprises.If all these boxes are checked and the numbers work for your goals, then it’s likely a solid deal.

Particularly for your first few properties, I'd highly recommend that you manage the property yourself (if possible), but that's usually only possible (or most effective) if you live near the property or visit it frequently.

I have visited many where street view looks awesome and of course you get excited. 

Looking for in country contacts banks, agents, contractors, recommended areas, etc to prep for a productive visit.  

I lived in a college town and student rentals did very well as did STRs for parents coming in to visit their children.  

Except for the super cheap-o $70 from Home Depot, they all work good.

All this just to hopefully cashflow a few hundred $$ a month, doesn't seem worth it.Lately, I am really leaning on just investing in REIT's like Realty Income (o). as I write this Realty Income is at $57.75 paying $0.264 monthly dividend.  

I have found that going that extra mile, like the couch covers etc and making sure the person with the disability has the easiest time visiting our place.As someone with a disability (I have a degenerative neurological disorder) and use a cane, I like to make sure folks with similar issues have a good time.