Pre-market, off market, cancelled and expired listings are a great please to start.

What do you think are the best neighborhoods (low crime, good schools, able paying tenants, close to transportation, shops, restaurants, etc.) and which areas you would stay away from ? 

But our hospitality group uses Wayfair and for returns, plus keeping things simple, a quick one stop shop works the best. 

I showed to section 8 clients but they think I listed too high.

Check out their listing HERE.

Preferred:- other student rental investors - those investing 29205, 29201, 29204, 29033, or 29169 zip codes- flippers or builders- realtors with MFH listings or vacant lots in these areas

good list.. you can add to your CA OR WA foreclosure rescue that MLO's are allowed to contract those in foreclosure as well as Attorney and Agents.

However, many of those properties are actually on ground leases, so its very rare that the shopping center owner is willing to parcel off a pad and cell it, more often than not they are retaining the dirt and the restaurant is leasing the dirt (generally $100K-$180K annually from most markets I operate in) and then the business builds the building and when they leave the LL gets to keep it and lease it to another tenant. 

Now I am new to the real estate scene and I do have several questions that I want to mark off my list so I can get a better understanding on this.

Do mid term rentals listed through airbnb still need a separate, formal lease, similar to how a LTR would be set up.. or is the airbnb booking enough and provide enough safety to the landlord (e.g., tenant doesn't pay, destroys property, etc.)?