@Aaron Gordon  we did the student rentals down here in Narragansett for  a long time and the more accurate screening was getting the major.

:Class A Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, 3-5 years for positive cashflow, but you get highest relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% the more recent norm.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 680+ (roughly 5% probability of default), zero evictions in last 7 years.Class B Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, decent amount of relative rent & value appreciation.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, 5% should be applied only if proper research done to support.Tenant Pool: Majority will have FICO scores of 620-680 (around 10% probability of default), some blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 5 yearsClass C Properties:Cashflow vs Appreciation: Typically, high cashflow and at the lower end of relative rent & value appreciation.

Your major issue in the discussion. 

The majority of Buyers search 3rd party listing services which also provide listing agent contact info.

Our STRs are all booked for the holidays majority wise but the one week that is slow across the board is the week post-Thanksgiving.

To real estate or not to real estate..I'm a math major, so I think about numbers A LOT.

Vehicle expenses are one of the major costs to consider, so living nearby helps reduce those expenses and saves you time.

The vast majority of lawsuits against landlords involve wrongful eviction, security deposit disputes, and Fair Housing Violations.

@Nathan Frost  Ironically, I did the majority of my real estate investing in Texas while living in Metro Detroit, and you are doing somewhat the reverse.I didn't want to get too negative, but suffice to say the City of Detroit* is a very tough market. 

As a Canadian, most of what you say regarding BC and Ontario is true due to Vancouver and Toronto being the major cities in Canada, but your immigration numbers and link to housing shortage is a bit of political rhetoric.