So, I had a local shop make her several home decor items, and one of them was a nice mug that read, "Mike can fix that".

Work with an independent broker - I represent Steadily amongst many other companies - rather than a call center for a insurance carrier or MGA.

Use sites like BiggerPockets and local listings for deals.

@Jake Handler is a local agent who could assist you and point you in the right direction.

If you knew ahead of time, you did not comply with Sight distances, that should have been front and center prior to moving forward with any plans. 

So sometimes if I have to spend a few hundred bucks to have the architect draw out the details to help the tradesman later down the road, I will. 2.) local municipalities fees.

We have a local manager that can check ID's upon arrival. 

It's not literally scanning your OTAs for openings, but if you knew you had one upcoming, you could set this up in a travel group about that local area and shoot promos out to its members. 

I've started working with a builder locally on our first Development/Build Project.

I contacted a local insurance agency where the rental is located and got a reasonable price.