However, a few things I would suggest to give you a better perspective is: 1) Talk to property management companies in the area to see if they operate in the area and/or have comments on tenants in the area, 2) Speak to a few banks to understand how they would lend on this property, 3) Scan Zillow/craigslist and other listing sites to understand the rental market for listings...

My plan for property is to rent after rehab which the same realtor has a property management company we’ve discussed using. 

Also it depends if you hire a company or if you are hiring a person and paying them hourly - the hourly cleaner will be cheaper, but there's more management involved on your side.I pay $120 per turn for a 2br condo.

My lender is a home loan company and not tied to any bank.

I'm with a construction and design company and we operate in NC - feel free to reach out, would love to work with you and help you create a high-performing STR.Here are a few we did in NC for you to check out:-https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/755582185230853225?

Just to be clear, YOU don't have to be the operator, but YOU need to have known how to do it and ensure the operator you employee (either as in house or through a PM company) needs to know how to do this at a high level.  

I'm eager to kickstart my business, but I could use some direction on where to begin. Should I prioritize market research or focus on building a network of industry contacts? If you have experience in wholesaling or r...

He says to minimally get an Attorney to work for me instead of relying on my agent and our title company, since they're all get compensated on the deal getting done, not necessarily fighting for my protections. 

I am getting a RLI personal umbrella policy from an independent insurance broker.

You can always ask a loan officer to submit the property to underwriting to see if it will qualify with the company's guidelines - this is something I always do if i'm not 100% sure about the area.