But am wondering if there is already a quality reservoir of information out there that folks are familiar with.Hi Arjun, I am from Colombia, and I have invested in real state over there, however I have lived the last 6 years in Spain, I exactly arrived when the economic recession started :/ However, living in the South of Spain (La costa del Sol , Andalusia) and observing how the prices have tragically decreased through the years I have finally decided to get into the business here,..

Answering those questions is an excellent start to where an investor should purchase a STR!

I can tell you that without a doubt, I make better tenant selections now than I did 17 years ago when I started out. 

The mortgage rate can always be refinanced when the rates drop back down which they are very close and will start to drop this year.

I then started a business buying homes on terms.

I have been disappointed with a previous manager and need to start over.

Or we might be looking at the start of some tough economic times. 

But start to get out of the SAD (sad american investment diet).Real Estate Investments: Cash flow and appreciation aside for you as a high income earner over 400K AGI its going to be more about saving taxes.

I am keen on finding out whether this market is a good starting point if I wish to develop a small portfolio of say 5 rental properties over the next 5 years. 

If so, find an investor-friendly realtor and start looking at properties early.