I was going to IRRL anyway, so it kind of just made sense.

Also you have mentioned all kinds of restrictions and set backs such as hurricanes and so... since we are talking about flipping and not buy and hold, do you still think those will have the same significance? 

what kind of strategy are you thinking?

I've used the strategies others have mentioned with success:Ultrasonic repellant devices (spaced every 20' or so if you can)Bounce fabric softener sheetsSteel wool and/or expanding foam in every crack and crevice that makes sense.If your cleaners aren't arriving right away, you will need someone to do a "check out" procedure after guests leave, to make sure the trash is immediately taken out, and no food of any kind is present, wipe countertops, etc.

I certainly did NOT intend this as any kind of criticism of what you guys are doing--hope it didn't come across that way.

High achievers always move the goal line out anyway; so, tying your happiness to the end result rather than daily action can result in unhappiness along the way.Regarding real estate investing, add value...it speeds up the wealth building process. in the For What ever its worth category.. to me real estate is life.. its a life style.. there is no retirement.. not sure why folks get so worried about retirement.. you get your stable of whatever kind of real estate you want  sFR multi commercial  Notes  short term lending .. fix and flip  value add  MHP  storage spec building etc etc.. and you nurse them along and work with them until you pass through the pearly gates.. why retire even if you retire with rentals your still involved in some manner.. if I looked at real estate that way I retired at 18 when I started selling the stuff it was and is not a JOB to me its a lifestyle..

Much older kind of program FYI.

You have mentioned a lot of fun facts, but nothing that I would use to analyze a market for REI.In all these areas, what are numbers ($$$$) for the following important questions:1 - What are the entry prices for the common square footages (ranges of similar comps)?

If the inspection results indicate no major fixes are needed, it will have that going for it, plus it's located in a low crime area, and the target tenant for this kind of residence is less likely to trash the place (B+ neighborhood). 

I would recommend looking through Craigslist and Zillow/Trulia/HotPad for small-multi rentals and see what is the common theme throughout the listings.