A somewhat easier process to just buying raw land and having to develop it and build the house, would be to find a subdivision where a builder is actively marketing and building either on spec or building for customers like yourself.

What generally is conspicuous by its absence is any metric that measures performance as the laundry vendors want to avoid that as the intent of the lease is to be construed as a real property lease and not a service agreement (which can be more easily cancelled).

Some advocate for factoring in debt services, while others argue for excluding them from the calculation.

Not implying your agent is taking advantage of your beginner knowledge just to offload a property and get dual agency commissions, but again, might not be the worst idea in the world to have someone in the Bigger Pockets community who's local/understands the Charlotte market to take a look at the deal you're getting ready to move forward on.As far as inspectors, I would recommend one that we use for our business that is in the Charlotte/surrounding areas.Precision Inspection Services - Steven Lee - 704-575-2917

I would like to offer actively managed STRs for a year or two until the end of bonus depreciation or longer.

Yes you'd be able to utilize the DSCR loan (debt service coverage ratio) upto 80% cashout of the homes value .

That being said, I have heard of third party services that can integrate with Airbnb or a property management system to do a thorough screening of instant book guests.

While real estate can provide higher returns, it is subject to market fluctuations and requires active management.

Sherman might fit that bill as well.One thing I've been thinking about is the quality of city government and services. 

Contract Services: Including expenses for trash removal, landscaping, snow removal, etc., what are the average costs per unit, and what conservative estimates should we use?