RE is a get rich slow game and there are increasing number of people talking about how difficult it is to retire from your day job even with large numbers of rentals because cash flow is thin.On the one hand there is the Small But Mighty portfolio mentality which I believe is a book in the BP store by Chad Carson.

A STR is both a business and a real estate investment.Having little oversight on a newly formed business would make me anxious also.As others have suggested, you should consider going to the area for the initial items(Purchase, renovation, etc).Once you buy 1-2 properties, you can look to unload these items to someone else.Best of luck

Again, the BiggerPockets store has some books on this topic, or you can learn about it by watching podcasts, reading blogs, and interacting on the forum.

They say this can take 30 days, yet I see complaints on BBB and the App Store for Google and Apple where people have not gotten their money back yet even after several months.I have contacted my bank and they said you have 60 days to file a dispute from the date of your DEPOSIT not the time you request the transfer back into your bank. 

Tech for most part is just a deployment item not innovation, utilizing tech to automate and do, more efficiently, what was done in antiquated manners. 

You set the GPS, drive to the ice cream parlor, buy some ice cream, and now your kids are happy.Now, consider the next few questions:Did the ice cream parlor lift a finger to get you in their store?

I had another person try to bargain me down to $1700/month, and said she was moving out of her dad's house and so needed room to store boxes in the extra bedrooms. 

However, I see how one may struggle to change the email, since it may have important information stored or they've reached full capacity for making new emails. 

I've even heard of GCs using auction type settings for returned items at Home Depot and Lowes for steep discounts.I've learned a lot about the GC game as I was up close to over 40 projects last two years and some went well and some did not and when they did not it was all Contractor related.If a GC isn't sourcing cheap materials at the same time milking the hell out of his 150-200 per day workers, then you can find yourself eating into your margins real fast. 

The resources are abundant - spreadsheets, contracts, tangible items to help you succeed.