(I asked a Mod :) )My main driver in pursuing real estate is building up a portfolio to support passive income down the road, with an eye to appreciation as I need to create the basis of wealth for the passive income.

It comes down to a $20 Billion platform   - Airbnb Adding some basic programming,  vs mom and pop trying to navigate pushing buttons and the local law of the day.Airbnb will never do it because they make money wether it’s legal or not.Ironically Uber has a similar matter when certain counties or municipalities ban Uber from picking people up without local permits . ( Weschster county NY is one example ) If the app alerts the driver of a local pickup and the driver winds up getting fined .

TCU area is pretty expensive...nice area though.Will be interesting if we decide to have in person classes again and if that affects prices.If students don't need to be at campus for class, that's the main demand driver around there.

Obviously, available and terms of financing is a huge driver of home affordability and demand.

Without a sign up near a university you'll miss a good number of potential tenants (through friends and other Word Of Mouths), but still the primary driver of university rentals will be online, but not usually Craigslist. 

Will anybody check up on me to make sure I actually live there or will changing the address on my drivers license be enough?

On rising markets you are in the drivers seat, while in a decreasing market be careful.   

Overall your looking at cash flow as a market driver, not an increase in value of the market giving you a stable investment.

Was a taxi driver in KS.

Her name on her driver's license was one letter off from the results, which were bad, but she insisted that was another person.