This is a sure way to have any downturn impact you in a negative way.REI isn't a race. 

Also, do you think this impacts the area as well, and keeps the increase of value from less likely to happen?

Remember, stocks were UP higher than ever one day before Black Friday.If people knew when the economy was going to go down and what impacts there would be, then the best advice would be to borrow as much money as you can and SHORT that market. 

I like the idea of moving somewhere...learning the area a bit, buying a property or 2 (maybe with a local partner) fixing it up and selling it over a years time while I experience the culture...and moving on.It seems completely obvious that the idea of rehabbing and reselling a deteriorated property would exist in any culture or country but I never hear about it being a thing. 

However, I also believe that culturally, there's a demand for unique experiences and the opportunity to "live like a local" vs. the sterility of a hotel room (or a hotel-provided house).  

All real estate is local so the impact of online retail is going to vary widely.

If you put in effort, you can create some impactful/win-win interactions and long-term investor relationships.

I have been thinking about STR's and buying more rentals in general but now with that kind of giant buying up condos/SFH/multi's what impact do you think this will have on the rental industry in general (and housing for that matter) and STR- hard for most investors/buyers to compete with something like a hotel chain behemoth when it comes to purchasing power and could drive prices crazy in desirable areas, not to mention the points and perks they can offer for staying on their properties?

There are ways to decrease tax impact if done correctly. 

If you are able to make your normal car payments on a monthly basis, I wouldn't be too concerned about paying it down unless it impacts your DTI to the point that you cannot get financing for investment properties.