Hahah most of the time if you ask "are you looking for someone local so that you can go knock on their door when things go wrong" it's a lighthearted way of saying in our technological age location probably isn't as important as the other aspects.

I think I'm sitting around 10% bad guests overall (no scientific formula here, lol), and 5-10% are just a lot to deal with. 

So from that aspect I'd say its a good learning experience, however, with regard to the specific situation of the current people living there thats a good discussion for a local realestate lawyer. 

Now that I’m in real estate more full time I use fewer aspects of my degree as it has grown outdated 25 years later.

Basically most aspects of real estate syndications have taken their licks over the past few years.

STR is also a BUSINESS, the investment aspect is incidental.  

If you start one, you are no longer a landlord but also have to work on all aspects of running a business! 

Property managers can handle tenant screening, lease agreements, rent collection, and even routine maintenance with a network of reliable contractors, which could save you the headache of finding a trustworthy handyman remotely.That said, if you feel confident in your ability to manage these aspects remotely and have reliable contacts in place, you might be able to save money by doing it yourself.

more info: At this point I'm satisfied with all other aspects of the application and credit/background check came back clean and excellent. 

If you'd like some help with the investment property aspect of this I'd be happy to take a look.