Personally, I would never live in PHX, but that is all personal biases (I prefer seasons and greenery), and clearly lots of people choose to live in PHX.At the end of the day, I would argue market selection almost only comes into play when you are talking assets that cater to institutional buyers that have to get investment committee sign off. 

Any insights/people with experience in this market who can chime in?

I’m here to gain insight into the investment side of things, and connect with people already familiar.

The people listed below have been all over BP and can provide great information

And of course all the events and attractions that draw people to Myrtle Beach are just 20 minutes away.In addition to Murrells Inlet, I would consider the adjacent Surfside Beach... which sits right between Garden City Beach and Myrtle Beach. 

Quote from @Vince Scipione: Yes, they are a popular choice where I live and work, however with the ever fluctuating cost of oil heat, many people have swapped over their boilers/furnaces to what is called a "Propane Gun" essentially it is a device that is affixed to the front of the furnace/boiler that injects the propane and ignites it.

There are so many people that are having HUGE success in this market.

In Oak Park, we have had people like Ray Kroc, Ernest Hemingway, Bob Newhart, Sam Gianncana, Betty White. 

Also, I’ll be in the area for the next two weeks and would love to connect with people in person.

I’ve considered multifamily or duplexes, but from what I’ve heard, they’re unideal right now, so I’m leaning towards STRs.I’ve put together a list of areas that seem STR-friendly with good tourism appeal, and I’d love to get feedback from people who know the San Antonio market well.