When I was in middle school I was buying/selling on Ebay to make money but the platform has changed quite a bit since then. 

Bought into Lodgify and set up my own booking platform, paid the one time fee and all profits come to me. 

I agree this is an another area Vrbo does a better job.I type my rules in the Airbnb listing.I only do signed agreements for off platform bookings. 

I would generally avoid most places north of I-10, as they can be pretty rough and you may also have a difficult time finding a legit property manager who'll manage there.

How to best go about attracting a quality renter (the best free platforms to market my property on)2.

Place ads on every platform you can where home buyers could be looking for an inexpensive home.

What has been the most helpful platform/service in your experience (asking the BP community) for screening potential tenants? 

Took months to get it right and I’m still not pleased with having to make price changes in BP’s terrible mobile UI but it does work for the basic idea of ensuring that I receive the same net revenue per night, regardless of what booking platform, fees, structure, etc folks come through the front door on.  

How to best go about attracting a quality renter (the best free platforms to market my property on)2.

How to best go about attracting a quality renter (the best free platforms to market my property on)2.