One sale can be worth 10-20 leases or more, personally I would rather work really hard to sell a few properties if I was just getting started.

One person may take the “it adds perceived value”approach, while the other is cost conscious.  

I ended up expanding my personal credit by $8,000 on my own.

Most PMLs are less experienced in real estate than the borrower so they need to be brought along for the ride.

It's great that some ST rentals have a 6-month waitlist but that's the case in many markets and these listings are in the minority and most likely run by experienced short-term operators.

Constant housekeeping complaints, bookkeeping errors, them using my property for their personal gain without me knowing it, charging outrageous "fees" that they didn't share with me, which effectively lowered my rents, and questionable repairs and maintenance expenses and quality. 

There is a SFH my relative is selling at auction due to personal life circumstances.

I'm also a big believer that Health is indeed a person's greatest Wealth.

I have personally never been there but are there specific attractions, employers, military base, etc. then make Indy a good STR/MTR market?

I do not personally recommend these as an investment, but I can offer some insight to your questions!