I have heard of successful STRs in that area, but there's not a lot of tourism or travel to that area, aside from mid-length stays from the Army at Fort Lee.

Looking right now in the heart of the major tourism destinations is most likely looking at overpriced real estate.

But at the same time, places that are heavy to STR, are places that rely on tourism to survive.

@Justin Sawyer you won’t find any deals on the MLS, you need to find distressed homeowners through a good mix of inbound/outbound marketing.

I would defiantly do some research on tourism trends in Hammond.

It can be a costly marketing channel, but the leads are inbound and over time will be flowing in on a consistent basis, as long as you maintain marketing momentum by staying in front of sellers. 

I'm currently employed as a General Manager in the Tourism Industry but looking to make the transition to becoming a full time Mortgage Broker this Winter.

I typically recommend starting in the Mountains for STRs though like the Smokies or Blue Ridge, GA where you will have year round tourism. 

Nashville is certainly a hot spot now - tourism has drastically changed in a relatively short amount of time. 

Not sure how many STRs you have thus far, but if you are just starting out, I highly recommend looking into the mountain markets due to year round tourism, it is the safest route into the short term rental world in my opinion and markets like the Smokies and Blue Ridge, GA are established and could end up a much lower risk!