I'll lay out some research so you can all make your own decisions, but the short advice is: STAY AWAY!

I was just looking all over for properties and I hate that I have no insight into how good or bad the neighborhoods are or how likely a property is to stay rented.  

I would say stay away from any expensive mastermind groups unless there are actual networking events and you are desperate to leave your W2 to become a wholesaler/flipper because thats his focus. 

Connect with @Stuart Udis a wealth of knowledge and based in Philly 

People who thought they could stay in the home kight not be able to even with the $1million exemption. 

You sound like a good candidate for a PM if you really want to stay off the lease.

I have very little knowledge regarding the costs accompanied by this and therefore difficult to calculate deals/cash flow when assessing properties. 

The secret is you need to STAY in the game.

. + if they are knowledgable about the STR market in the area. 

In other words you create the demand by creating a space that other people would want to stay in.