Enjoy.

This biz is a wild ride so learn and enjoy!

Many cities (at least older, Rust Belt ones) have some sort of cost-share program for public works projects like these, where the direct benefit is likely to be enjoyed by the residents of the building adjacent to whatever's being fixed, so they (or you, as the case may be) have to kick in.As for why your property taxes don't pay for it, you'd have to look at the tax bill you get in Columbus to see how things are allocated.

The most significant drawback is the management "cost": three approvals instead of two on all decisions and the resulting increased time required - we both have full time jobs and we really enjoy the flexibility that a two-person partnership offers (e.g., text message decision making).

And strangely enough, one of the most enjoyable for me.

@Matt P. 2500$ a month is what I need to cover my bills so I can keep focusing my time on investing and not have to work another job I don't enjoy.

Which simply means I'm looking for anywhere from -$3-5k to +$3-5k cash flow each year and the ability to enjoy the property up to 14 days per year with family (excluding "maintenance" trips).  

We enjoy using it too, so we consider it a very good investment.

As a new RE Agent myself, I am exploring the field everyday and enjoying my discoveries.

In my market, the difference between the cashflow for STRs and LTRs is not near enough to make up for the extra work involved with running an STR but we really enjoy managing our STR.