It sounds like you've got a solid foundation and a great game plan, especially with your background in North Padre and passion for fishing, which could really set your STR apart.

Quote from @Jack Sarcia: Hey Dennis, solid question! 

Price-to-rent ratios are solid, and there’s still room for appreciation in the right areas.The key is understanding the nuances of the city—it’s not a market where you can just buy blind and expect good results.

Is my CoC return solid, or do I need to adjust anything based on my market?

Have been talking about getting into real estate investing for the last 2-3 years and finally pulled the trigger on a 3 unit house hack in Soulard that will be closing later this month and will be self-managing the property.I'm trying to network a bit with other investors, build a solid team of contractors / handymen, and set my systems up in way to scale, but also so my tenants have a good experience.

I’d suggest focusing on securing solid DSCR loans—like those from thelender.com, which lends up to 80% LTV, considers STR income, and operates as a direct lender.

Sounds like you and your future husband have a solid success plan in place. 

My plan is to build along the same type of home, but of course with some of my design inputs.I want to get a really solid foundation before any actual building happens and I would truly appreciate any advice that anyone has to offer of some preliminary items I should know and take care of beforehand.

Building a solid team (agent, property manager, lender) is key.

Jokes aside, RBC is usually a solid first choice.