Properties I looked at in Gulf Shores managed by Vacassa and others had severe deferred maintenance which has to eat into revenue due to lower occupancy, pricing and refunds.4.

Our Pigeon Forge 6 bedroom cabin is booking up very well throughout the year.I just want to get the unbooked days and weeks booked.We have a big fat mortgage to pay!

(things to do, places to eat, school district, etc.)

Damages can eat up your profits quickly. 

Spending $20k on exterior if windows roof and painting are needed will eat up costs pretty fastBest to itemize what needs to be done and then determine a rough estimated cost

Eat frigging crab-legs for breakfast dinner and lunch?

(Sorry, my dear Friendly Fairbankians), most people won't spend money to go to Fairbanks and eat frozen moose when it's 40 degrees below zero.

I elect to leave the tenant in peace and eat the vacancy cost and not show until they are moved out for the same reason. 

If he doesn't, let him know you'll eat it this time but going forward you're going to have look out for yourself.

There’s no secret formula out there, you will find it near impossible to cash flow with these rates almost anywhere in the greater dmv, you can put more down, you can eat negative cash flow, you can invest in another market (I like the eastern shore, though even there you are probably breaking even at best) or you can put your money in a different asset class, the market decides your return’s for the most part, not you.