If not, are there any alternative strategies that I could consider to get this done as a long-distance investor?

No - Chesky is wishful thinking. a) Most people are not nomadic in nature b) It takes a lot of money to travel and stay at Vacation Rentals (the cost of the rental, food, auto and gas, etc.)For most people, STR trips will continue to be a nice little getaway alternative to traditional hotels....although I believe their usage will grow a good bit anyway.

The nature of evolution means that it doesn't stay like that for long and we know that it can only get better from here.

We've been pleasantly surprised by the level of care our current student renters have taken, aside from the their lack of housekeeping skills.I was thinking of white cabinets as the house gets lots of natural light and for the overall investment of the home, they would work well.

Another alternative if your property is close but doesn't appraise for the price you want, rather than bringing money to the table, you can also accept a higher interest rate and the lender will pay you.

Reaching out to the more experienced BP brain trust for ideas on the down payment or other options and alternatives. 

I'm just looking at less stressful optiosn due to the rushed nature of things.Thanks again.

From your experiences, what are some creative alternatives I can use to get this deal done?

@Joe Villeneuve what would you recommend alternatively?

One source of cities to avoid is Neighborhood Scout's 100 most dangerous cities.Disaster Risk - Some parts of the country suffer frequent natural disasters.