Depending on what your call list consists of you'll have a harder time finding info on the person.

According to the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act:Even if a landlord has a no pet policy in place, the law does not consider service animals as pets and therefore the service animal is exempt from such a restriction.Service animals are allowed anywhere a person would go, including food areas that would normally restrict an animal’s presence.Landlords cannot charge a pet deposit or pet fee for service animals, however the tenant is liable for any damage that the service animal may cause.Landlords can require written verification from the tenant’s health care provider that they are disabled but cannot ask for any specifics about the disability.Landlords can require written verification from the tenant’s health care provider that the service animal is needed.Landlords can request copies of the animal’s health records to prove the animal is in good health, parasite-free and immunized/vaccinated.Landlords can write warnings or even evict a tenant with a service animal if the animal is disturbing others, posing a threat to others or causing considerable damage to the property.In other words, you can ask for appropriate paperwork concerning the tenant’s need for the service animal and to verify the animal’s health. 

I’m helping her out because she lives out of state and obviously can’t open in person an escrow account.

Personally, I like Cobbs Creek a lot, but the areas depend on your price point.

So my conclusion was that the condo-hotels are more so set up for personal use, with the ability to offset SOME of the costs by renting out the unit while you're not there.

I personally never explored them much.

You can properly operate the STR in your personal name to include the financing, proper insurance, etc. 

My personal opinion is owning your home outright is an amazing feeling and impressive feat.

I'm personally looking at the 2-4 space right now as I think there should be good opportunity there to make the numbers work in high-value markets

Even if the property is not currently on the market, it will show you a lot of info that I personally find important.