What does the competition look like, how do their rates vary during the week.When we do our short term rentals we always make it very special.

The strength of asset protection and confidentiality of LLC's varies wildly from state to state and how well your operating agreement is drafted. 

Florida varies drastically in price depending on location.

@David Garcia- thanks   1) if you plan to lie in one of the units and minimize the down payment - use a FHA loan  as  down payment can be as little as  3.5% of the  price  2) if  not planning to live in one of the units - use a conventional loan and  your down payment will be  consierably  higher  ( the amount  will vary based on the type of property you buy   3)  downside to using a FHA loan - you have to pay  upfront fha mtg ins  premium of 1.75%  ,,,the monthly mtg insurance is  permanent and high ..benefit to  FHA  is low down pmt ,  tend to be better priced  and also more forgiving on credit  4) let me know if yuou would like a FLA based loan person referal and  good luck

But this is varies depending on the builders requirements.

I realize that this is both very subjective and varies by circumstance.

The price will vary by market but in general, there is a "sweet spot" of what a rental investment home should cost in order to provide the best yield and relatively low headaches.

Vacancy rate is going to vary a lot based on the property type and sub market.

Hello Palmer,Because the STR is subjected to the spring/summer season (April to September) of the rental year, and varies according to traffic during that season, I would be more inclined to trust the property management companies like (Elliott, Thomas, Dunes or Palmetto). 

Many are going to switch to the mid-term rental strategy to try and avoid the regulations, but that could potentially cause an oversupply in that category as well.