Those two should give you a sense of demand and pricing.

you can convert that one too.Apartments rent on AirBNB all the time, no reason you can't do it - but of course, check out what comparable units in the area are getting, get a feel for demand and occupancy rates, make sure it's going to be worth your while before you proceed.

I also stack my showings 3-4 deep so the potential tenants can see how in demand it is and off set any potential no shows.

I have no idea how it'll play out in your scenario or what the discrepancy was, however.

It would be a long term play for me...building in a highly desirable and rapidly growing area.

Play it that way

You already know the in-demand areas, and there is a price point that will make (almost) any property work.

The real play is to find a high quality tenant for the store-front.

I am thinking of purchasing a duplex or triplex here in Montreal with around a 40-50% deposit, with the intention of holding onto it until I achieve 100% equity - then possibly resell and make a bigger play with the capital.

Commercial loans are a fact of life if you play in this space.