The good agents will stay in the space and continue to win the business of people that understand the value they provide.

You are not too familiar with the area, so if your short-term stay is near an airport you have less travel time and can spend less on taxis.

Should we stay away from group homes? 

(No desire to stay).  

Anyone familiar with this format or has had any luck converting it to something that is more organized or easily read? 

the terms of the leases in place will dictate what you can and can't do.Chances are there is only 1 water meter, and splitting it 3 ways is usually the beginning of tenant-tenant conflicts.You could probably give somebody a rent credit to take care of the lawn, but if the lawn is generally used as a common area for all tenants, the landlord usually covers that cost.You could always change lease terms when the leases expire - but as a rule, the leases stay with the tenants who are in the property even when a property is sold.

I'd like to stay as close to a big City as possible. 

What is the best way to find a good quality property manager who will not only do a good job screening tenants but also stay on top of the tenants , minimizing problems?

You can forget about  @Brian Burke  staying in any Airbnb...

But we won’t be staying in it overnight.