@Vito DiIennaWhile I have not had to get a Letter of No Objection myself, if I had to do it, I would go right the the DOB, go into the Office that you can get an official Cert of Occupancy and ask them what is the procedure to get the letter.Normally, you will need to provide evidence.

If you, your lender, or agent can pull up higher comps, there may be a way for you to negotiate a seller's concession and use it to buy down the interest rate.

Can you get somebody transferring in to rent the house for their 2-3 year tour? 

A STR is both a business and a real estate investment.Having little oversight on a newly formed business would make me anxious also.As others have suggested, you should consider going to the area for the initial items(Purchase, renovation, etc).Once you buy 1-2 properties, you can look to unload these items to someone else.Best of luck

@shay The biggest question  - can the property cashflow after paying for the costs of holding the property?

Any idea what this is, and any recos on how I can cover up this foam column? 

In fact, you can give them better deals in most cases.

Mostly, they are withdrawn by the lender (I can explain why); second there is a postponement for workout efforts, third they is an actual workout plan agreed, fourth, a bankruptcy filing.

Not understanding how and when I can raise rents and other operational restrictions is what scares me.  

Hi I recently won a Small Claims Judgment against my former tenant who damaged the property and failed to pay rent.Does anyone have a recommendation for a good Small Claims Judgment Collection agency/firm that can help me collect?