But your colleague may have been confused about Short Term Rentals (STR).

Since you’re based in NY, Detroit is just a short flight away, making it feasible to visit and get a feel for the market and the team you’d be working with.That said, I’ve worked with plenty of investors who have never actually visited and still built successful portfolios—it really comes down to having the right boots on the ground.

We had hoped to rent our house for short-term or mid-term stays.

Shortly after they all became vacant, I had to do the renovation work myself because of the lack of cash flow, and it took years to dig myself out of that hole.

But neither do you, yet you started with:"Short answer is "yes"  - which I consider misleading.And you manipulated the OP's question to fit your agenda.

Durham on the other hand is a great opportunity for investors seeking more short-term growth, more options, and higher likelihood of cashflow. 

Seller is the Agent.Seller bought property in January of 2023 for $730,000Current “As Is” Value : $770,000Target Acquisition Price: $730,000-$780,000 After Repaired Value: $900,000Repair Estimate: $120,000Initial Offer Amount: $715,000Loan Program: Bank Statement Program.Total Estimated Monthly Payments (Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance) $5500/month (based on $770k purchase price)Estimated Gross Yearly Income from Short Term Rental: $160,000 (65% Occupancy, $700 a night| (STR Listing Comparable properties Listing 1 Listing 2 Listing 3)Net Monthly Income after management and taxes: $11,751.25Net Monthly Income after Mortgage Payments: $6251.25 ($75,015) Per YearTotal Cash Investment: $297,000 ($177,000 in down payment and closing costs and $120,000 in repairs)Average Yearly Return on Investment: 25% yearlyAverage increase in property value per year: 5%Average increase in booking revenue per year 7.5%Property Value average after 10 years: $1.5 millionTotal Cash received over 10 years: $1.3 million.Total Equity multiple min over 10 years: 6x total return on $297,000 invested.

In short, the previous owner made a deal and sold the house while they were still living for monthly cash payments until they died.  

I'd focus on deciding what you want to do (flip-high risk, but potentially high return...or large loss; short term rental-more work, but higher return than long term rental; long term rental-less work than the other two, but lower return).Once you've decided which you want to do, then focus on getting the best house to meet your goal. 

Taxes 10k HOA is 9k The current owner never did short-term rentals.