It's very time consuming managing even 2 houses at once.

After a few years, move out and buy another one.Short term rentals are a lot of work, flipping is really risky and more time consuming.

Can the government as consumer of last resort sufficiently sustain aggregate demand through the Covid shutdowns and beyond until the "normal" economy resumes, is the question. 

All these features are time consuming and have they really perfected their craft?

Some of it depends on the area you live in, how deep the lines are, the types of lines (cast iron, clay, pvc, etc), and the soil types and such.For a job like that, you should get three quotes and have them try and break the quotes down by labor, parts, permits, and such.

I charge a little extra to offset consumables.

I've been consuming everything about RE I can get my hands on.

Short term rentals will need to be fully furnished, with linens and towels, kitchen implements, plus consumables like soap, toilet paper, etc. 

First there is the policy issuing agent, the consumer facing part of the two. 

You will always get a better deal when you find the home yourself: off market deals: the problem is that you dont know how to find them and learning to find them may be cost consuming and be a net cost to you : as opposed to finding a good realtor that can help you find them.