Pull out a spreadsheet and go through the tools everyone mentions to run some comparables and take note of photos, amenities. 

However, I don’t yet have the funds for a down payment on another house, and I’m trying to figure out the best option for where to live while I rent the apartment.Do you have any recommendations for managing this transition or tips on finding a temporary place to stay?

Also any tips for automating this as much as possible and how to protect the property financially and property management would be appreciated.I ALMOST understand the rental arbitrage strategy if building a company scaling with say 30 + units and looking for high short term cash flow.  

There are several hurdles during the process:Find the deal - Unless you are marketing or plugged into a community where there are opportunities, it isn't always easy to find the right dealsEvaluate the deal - Without professional guidance and research tools, it is difficult for a newbie investor to evaluate and ARV/FMV or create an adequate rehab budgetSecondary exit strategies - If things don't go as planned are their other opportunities to exit profitably.

If you decide to revisit STRs, you might want to explore properties where you can project expenses independently, such as using local STR forums or online tools to estimate maintenance, management, and occupancy costs.For networking and strategy-building, you might find local meetups or groups beneficial.

Any tips on finding reliable professionals in my area?

Now IF you have all those bases covered, my tips are: Take GREAT pictures and for the love of all that is holly please no close ups, wide angel pics.

Negotiation tip #47, make it as simple as possible for the other party to accept your terms.

I’d greatly appreciate any advice, tips, or insights you could share—especially if you’ve done something similar.

However, the concept of a virtual office is a very useful tool that provides a professional fiscal and commercial address, as well as additional services such as mail handling, meeting rooms, and phone assistance.