Quote from @Miguel Del Mazo: Furnished Finder is definitely worth the costs despite the company continuing to raise their yearly price.

I've used a third party management company for all of them, and have not seen any appreciable difference as far as how passive they are.

Next to impossible without a property management company or a ton of experience in rehabs.

Certainly partnering with companies that have consistent replacement properties available makes sense if the properties meet your investment guidelines.  

Check out competitors of this company.

To the insurance company they will view an STR differently than a LTR.  

With your experience and possible skillset, perhaps finding a company to sponsor you for a green card may be a better option? 

I know real estate is a long term play but you never know when you'll need access to that capital.There are turnkey companies out there that handle the entire process for you from top to bottom so it makes for an extremely passive investment.

Besides that, I have a credit repair and funding company that helps entrepreneurs get their businesses going.

Are you using a PM company?