Doesn’t matter economics of town or citizens.  

Don't waste any mental energy thinking about what the Fed does.Find good deals. 

I keep hearing that it makes sense to focus on markets that have strong economic and population growth, but there's really no overlap between population growth, economic growth, low prices, and low taxes.So my question really is, what's the best way to get out of this?

I would be wary of buying a home in a residential neighborhood in ABQ with the goal of having a STR: Only CA rivals NM in terms of economic governmental tampering.

You deduct all of this in the first year, and you have a big tax loss (and an actual economic loss).

Plan your renovation timeline to list properties during peak buying months - also take into consideration that snow and rain will affect your rehab.Another way that you will want to take climate into account is  that given the cold winters, energy-efficient improvements like insulation and modern HVAC systems can be attractive to buyers.

I expect economic activity to slow, rate cuts to deepen, housing activity to accelerate and USD purchasing power to continue weakening.  

In Massachusetts, towns are passing energy codes that increase the cost of housing.

I've decided slowly back away from the industry and repurpose all time and energy into real estate investing. 

Simple economics, supply and demand.