The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to get a rock solid lease and good insurance and make sure you keep your property maintained and provide all the safety equipment required by law.I only own one property atm and I don't even own the house I live in so I don't think the risk is worth the cost but once I get a few more properties I will definately get an LLC for my properties.

In Mass you can avoid sprinklers by using 2015 IEBC chapter 14, a quick fire safety analysis of the building and exits. 

I do have customer service background working in high end restaurants in Orlando for 8 years (getting food shopped all the time and passing with 100%) and feel I would be an excellent asset to someones property in it becoming a successful STR.

She ate up a lot of my time and neighbors were concerned for their safety.

in Mass you can avoid sprinklers by using IEBC chapter 14, a fire safety analysis of the building. 

I've never feared for my safety though.

You can ask the local police precinct for crime reports within that neighborhood to get a better feel for the safety of the area.

According to the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act:Even if a landlord has a no pet policy in place, the law does not consider service animals as pets and therefore the service animal is exempt from such a restriction.Service animals are allowed anywhere a person would go, including food areas that would normally restrict an animal’s presence.Landlords cannot charge a pet deposit or pet fee for service animals, however the tenant is liable for any damage that the service animal may cause.Landlords can require written verification from the tenant’s health care provider that they are disabled but cannot ask for any specifics about the disability.Landlords can require written verification from the tenant’s health care provider that the service animal is needed.Landlords can request copies of the animal’s health records to prove the animal is in good health, parasite-free and immunized/vaccinated.Landlords can write warnings or even evict a tenant with a service animal if the animal is disturbing others, posing a threat to others or causing considerable damage to the property.In other words, you can ask for appropriate paperwork concerning the tenant’s need for the service animal and to verify the animal’s health. 

Would you rather purchase a property prematurely, not have enough funds and suffer from consequences or be financially secure, ready and then go for the right deals with safety/security?

The issues on the inspection report were few and mainly related to safety which speaks to the quality of the rehab that was done (e.g. no expensive CapEx items).