Talking with a knowledgeable lender to know what your budget is and make a plan. 

When an NBA player makes the too little sign after dunking on someone.

For example my simple spruce up would be, renno bathroom, and kitchen, paint, and redo carpet upstairs.But if i think real deep into what I could do to make it a STUNNER then I think, knock down walls, create more open/broken floor plan, add central air, possibly do an addition to add a 3rd bedroom and second bath.So when you could do ANYTHING .. how do you draw the line of what you should do?

These condo complexes have been used as STRs since inception so there's little to no chance of that ever changing in the future making this a safe investment in terms of changing regulations.

So someone who is looking purely to maximize potential return (and has unlimited time) is unlikely to find this a good fit.You can also hire a property manager for direct real estate and have someone oversee them, making direct ownership more passive.

Left a message with StateFarm to get back with me yesterday, but guessing since they're intending to cancel me on not living there full time, they'll stick with their decision.

You are absolutely right, making local connections is a key factor as well as managing the finances.

@Martin D., there are a lot of places where you'd make like a bandit if you invested before the pandemic boom.

Of course when an event was planned with food, why would I make a reservation?  

So, make sure you feel confident in your plan before you start. 5.