My goal is to find a property that suits her needs while also serving as a strong long-term investment.

You do not need lists.Where would you go get food if you were a hungry lion in the savannas of Africa?

Your input can help highlight areas where platforms can better serve hosts like you.https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5W69ZPCI’d be grateful if you could take a moment to fill it out!

I also know an owner of a STR management company that serves the area. 

This will help you to understand deal structures from the LP perspective and will give you some credibility if you raise money for others.Also, be prepared to "eat your own dog food" - invest your money in the same deal you're raising money for.

I attend 3-5 meetups monthly and we have local meetup https://www.cirpp-live.com/ been arounds since 1974 and we meet twice a month (one network night at local spot food, drinks, socialize and one day 1130am-1pm guest speaker and food at I-Hotel on campus) that have found vendors, private lenders, etc.

For most leases, the lease payment period is based on a CALENDAR month.Where it gets tricky, is WHEN you serve the Notice!

I serve on the board of our local REIA (Central Florida Realty Investors, CFRI) and this would be a great place for you to network with other local investors.

Before you do anything, you'd be well served to have an occupancy inspection to see what your municipality will force you to do, before allowing a new person to move in.

They are not accepting comps from food or other similar lease terms.