An umbrella policy or other insurance policies can often lend similar desired protections in a much more realistic and simplistic manner.

So when you need to go check on things, rent units, meet contractors, etc, you're jumping in the car for 6 hours, spending 1hr there, and I'm thinking after a full days's work. 

Is STRs the way to go in Hawaii or maybe just traditional LTRs instead? 

I believe it’ll come back so maybe monthly rental is the way to go for the time being.

He has stated clearly to me that he does not desire to be a RE investor.  

With just these numbers to go on, if I felt the neighborhood is solid/trending up and not down and assuming your rent projection is realistic, I'd buy it. 

So, after 30 minutes of going over the information of the case, the judge decided he should have a chance to defend himself, and I have to go to court again in 3 weeks. 

But I plan to go there to see and know the city in general and different neighborhoods in particular.

If someone doesn't want to do the work and put in the time to invest in RE, stocks and index funds is probably the better way to go - I've stopped trying to convince my friends (the mortgage free people) the benefits of RE. 

No off-street parking = not worth doing MTR unless it meets all of the following: super urban area where no parking is the norm, highly desirable area with a ton of MTR demand, super safe part of the city, and has great public transportation (think NYC, Hoboken NJ, etc.)Unless it meets all of the criteria above, I pass on those opportunities because my MTR will be eliminating the many people that travel with their vehicles.