NYC and the Bronx and Queens and Brooklyn are generally impossible wholesale areas anyway, but if you add in that you are an out-of-town student alleging to buy people's houses, NYers will eat you alive.

If you're in one of the Primo in-town neighborhoods your rent floor should be higher.Compared to short term rental - your gross rents will be lower, but that comes with lower headache. 

Their concept is not new and has been around for ages with people renting rooms in college towns and more expensive markets (NYC, LA) however this is a centralized more hands off management approach to self managing by letting them do all the heavy lifting for you which allows you to scale in less time so yes the concept definitely works and even better with their technology behind it.

seems high. this town is very expensive so bids are always highs.For the residential I plan to just build lots.For the farmstead area our plan is to build our primary home and then 5 smaller cabins for rentals.That road above is a smaller access road to the little cabins.

It also comes down to what kind of market you are in-- what do guests who come to town want? 

I have to think a ski town is all about STR  not the opposite

Again, not sure on your market but if the empty lot is so far out of town, then who would be your tenant pool?

I am not in town and my partner is new.  

My wife drives across town to get her hair done. 

Perhaps tell them you can do it the next time they go out of town.