Similarly, you can look at towns where STR does well and yet there are barely any contractors or service providers to be found by internet search.

I am tight in money- barely can cover down payment.

A "successful" flip is subjective -- beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- I would assert that any business endeavor is successful when you exceed 20% cash-on-cash return. 10% would be adequate. 5% would mean you barely scraped by.

Want to get this house leased by April and I want to do something with the bare dirt spots in the backyard.

I'm an investor and I barely think that splitting half the profits is fair.

There are lots of people who makes lots of money doing jobs that they hate just like there are lots that barely make any money and hate their jobs too. 

Any suggestions on getting a bare bones policy?

However, its still real clean, I didn't see a lot of old barely habitable mobile homes with renters dumping trash on the gravel roads and poaching deer like closer to Houston . 

Were not absentee, and B.) Are

His STRs barely bring in as much revenue in total as many of us here generate from 1 or 2 properties.