Prices go up because of government restrictions, lockdowns, regulations, Disrupting Supply chains causing prices to increase 2.

Issues like contractor delays, supply shortages, or unforeseen repairs can extend your timeline, which adds to your holding costs (mortgage, utilities, etc.).Tip: Factor in extra time for delays and have a backup plan to stay on track.Over-Renovating: Many new investors fall into the trap of over-improving a property, especially when they try to bring in their own taste.

Forget the opinions, look at the supply and demand in your area.

D)  The street address number for the subject property wasn't supplied even after I purchased the lead. 

In Columbia, finding a small multi-family property that makes sense numbers-wise can be difficult, but not impossible (low supply).

The brokerage uses this to pay for lots of stuff office supplies, CRM, insurance, marketing, etc..

The 1,000 is not likely as important as the buyers capability to buy and source of funds.

However, the fam member installing them for me is only a licensed HVAC contractor in FL so he's been unable to buy the units at the regular retailers that would regularly sell it to him (like Bryant, Johnstone Supply, etc).  

As far as STR goes, you can house hack the property that you first buy (in a single family home or in your unit of a multifamily property) and potentially do short term rentals in all of the other units or in your exiting property.STR as a way to invest is getting more challenging currently as supply of new STR inventory has been outpacing the demand for STRs.

Too expensive, too much multifamily supply as @Scott Trench mentioned.