When I confronted them, they defended their quote, stating that they go off the industry standard and a portion of the labor time is for "testing the system after repairs to ensure safety."

A non-resident alien for tax purposes is a person who is not a U.S. citizen and who does not meet either the “green card” or the “substantial presence” test as described in IRS Publication 519, U.S.

We put them to the test with an office warehouse 3 building 40,000 sq ft syndication 2 years ago and they performed as they stated.When utilizing local lenders who keep the loan in their portfolio, you CAN negotiate on rate BUT I find it much better to pay 1/4 to 1/2 point above the absolute minimum and obtain these other advantages instead.  

@Chris MurrayWhen deciding between vacation and long-term rentals, consider revenue, flexibility, management intensity, and local rules.

Avoid any of the "Heights" in Cleveland, those areas have POS which is a pain and capital intensive on a deal that needs extensive repairs.

i think throwing in some sort of an IQ test along with the application should be mandatory. 

Does this strategy seem too intense for a first shot in the rental world?

If the toilets don't pass the ADA test, I would definitely go that route. 

Some of their products have a toxic smell so you have to be wary of that, especially if you have animals around neither you nor them can be exposed to it.Meaning you might want to test paint a room and see if that solves your problem.Good Luck!

If you can't satisfy this 3 point test, there's significant risk associated with pursuing an STR strategy no matter how well the project underwrites today.