He went down and got showings for a bunch of houses in Cape Coral with attractive prices, but came back empty handed. 

Here's a quick summary:Manchester: STR demand could come from business travelers, especially near Hartford.Canton: Lower demand unless near outdoor recreation areas.Southington: Strong option with year-round tourists (skiing, Lake Compounce).Bristol: Good potential with ESPN and tourist attractions.Berlin: May have less demand unless near major highways.Focus on properties near attractions or business centers to keep occupancy high.

This probably should have minimally been a yellow flag and an indicator that the group may not have been buying at attractive cap rates.7.

And most of the time I'm buying in areas that do just fine attracting non-S8 tenants.There are a lot of "gurus" out there pushing this as a strategy though, and that's where all this is coming from.

You can use furnishedfinder, zillow (free), as well as other STR sites that also attract MTR guests (VRBO, Booking.com, etc).

I believe greater emphasis should be placed on why this unit continually  attracts terrible tenants.

I’m currently working with a really attractive build-to-rent development here that’s approaching completion.

Look at census data or local reports.Explore the Neighborhoods:Amenities: Properties close to schools, shops, and transit tend to attract more tenants.

If there are any platforms offering more attractive terms on the HEA than the HELOC it could be an option. 

There are some solid advantages here: new construction typically means lower maintenance costs upfront, modern amenities that attract quality tenants, and potentially higher rental income.