@Jill Hutsonthree reasons why apartments don't rent: Condition, Price, and Marketing, and a fourth can be the leasing agent, although I would tend to lump that into marketing.If the house is in good shape, and you're on all the platforms marketing it, then it's a function of price.There has been an oversupply of new inventory coming on line in many markets, and that's why rents have dropped in a lot of the metros.Unfortunately, it appears you have a pricing issue and you may have to start reducing the price, or throwing in some type of  concessionGood luckGino

I also converted the other side of the property (it's a functioning duplex) into an Airbnb / Short Term Rental.

It was the largest human migration in American history, far exceeding that of the West.

A CPA I knew who was a partner  in one of the largest international accounting firms was aways “straight up” in any advice he gave his clients.  

I am hoping that one integrated system can handle both functions.

For many syndicators I suspect they could not function economically without up front fee's so in their structure is expected most of the time. 2.

Also, most rentals are more about function than form.

Many Martis buyers are interested in form over function and the builds can reflect that, with more $ spent on adding square footage and finishes than the details that aren't seen (insulation, ventilation, water management, etc). 

This is a prime example of functional obsolescence.

I recommend focusing on getting a great investment property and disregarding Section 8 in that pursuit because any property can be a Section 8 property, but a lousy investment is lousy regardless of having a Section 8 tenant or not.Section 8 will perform a basic functional and safety inspection for your units after you have an agreement with a Section 8 tenant and your local housing authority.