For marketing I'm using Canary Yellow Letters printed from home using a printer utilizing Variable Data Printing (VDP).

What's keeping you from refinancing a couple of properties and asking the bank what the cost is to "lock in" a rate, so that it's not Variable.

I've been reading as much as possible in an attempt to "estimate" the cost / SF -- but of course, there are many variables.

Your homeowner's insurance has many variables including location, different risk factors, type of materials it's built from, square footage, age, etc.There is a rule of thumb that's easy to use for quick estimation, but the only way is to get quotes.

With so many local and external variables, if anything is certain, a good deal on US real estate is, and there seems to be a growing window of actualization for the prudent investor. 

Too many variables on actual cost (unless you are doing very similar units in a very similar market).....and I've seen quite wide ranges on some lifespan numbers too, but you can get rough ideas on how long a roof should last on average...an appliance.....re-paint....carpet etc.....So I would use the % as a good start and you can always get more detailed analysis IF it passes the first analysis

And our snow season in NC is variable - if long-term trends are an indication, it's declining as the region warms in winter.

There's no way to prove that an STR will lower property values by itself, there are too many variables that contribute to the increases or decreases of property values.

The tool that has the variable expenses built into the calculator is built on general assumptions from nationwide data.

I've been monitoring the market and I'm looking for some additional information/insight on the local market (school districts/rent variables etc) and I'm also looking for a RE agent suggestions.