I would check out some open houses or listings online of newly renovated places and I bet there will be a consensus pick. 

Heard a lot about Huntersville, Mathews, Mount Holly etc but have no ground level understanding So far I am relying on Zillow, Redfin only to find properties so also wanted to check what are other reliable local / online MLS sources to look for prospective properties.

as I dont like fully levered real estate there is no exit other than stroking a check if you have to exit in a few years. 

Last I checked his listing, he has no bookings yet for February.Don't underestimate the value of a property manager. 

Check out the monthly average for MTR, I am pretty sure it will be close to $3500 net after airbnb fees and taxes.

check your local laws about gates and alarms.

Check out some of the local meetups that you can find in this forum!

ProofNow you double check everything on your own.You learn more about remodeling and construction on your own and learn from the contractors.Get multiple estimates in the beginning until you develop a trustworthy relationship with a contractor.Here's a link to NC contractor licensing.

I'm heading to Troy this weekend to explore since it's been a few years since I've been there, I'd love to hear what neighborhoods I should check out and why.

I am in the midst of some renovations on a new 5 unit building to bring the total to 25 units which is taking up some time, and I don’t do online photo check deposits so I do have to go to my bank branch come the first of the month a few times to deposit rent checks which takes a little time, but if you’re tech savvy you could do all that from home in about 5 minutes.