The payment schedule is the biggest difference.

I am researching the market and will start diving deep into cleaning arrangements, repair folks, what types of properties bring the biggest return (size, more private vs more crowded cabins, closer to or further from town, hot tubs, views, etc...)

I currently live in Houston, but not biggest the fan of the area and find the risk of investment high in this area due to flood.

You could also do a internet search and use yelp to see what kind of reviews they have.

Search the internet for Brian Page.

As awesome as BP is one of the biggest issues is that people don't share negative feedback publicly because they don't want to put people on blast. 

AirBnB and other short-term rental laws are going to be different from city to city and the biggest difference is that you'll have to furnish the home unlike having a regular tenant.  

This is why passive investor’s biggest decision is who they invest with, because the sponsor can make or break you.

You will be pulled in many directions by salespeople but rarely listen to them or the Internet. 

The biggest thing I noticed when doing my deal analysis is that the "rules of thumb" don't really apply in this area. 2% rule, 50% rule, etc.