A few properties caught my eye however since I will be moving into the property for a while,and I want good tenants, therefore I want to ensure that the neighborhood isnt too sketchy.

Show him the supporting comp data and renovation costs.

When this other Realtor sees the sales data hit the MLS next month, it'll appear that their buyer lost by $500.

I have enough cash flow with multiple paid properties but just want to ensure I’m not really doing something strange.

The fact that you're even making a post indicates there is enough uneasiness with the situation that you're not sure about "their" data vs having your own.

Hey @Alan Ford, like @John Underwood said, your cousin should be able to provide previous years performance stats.The fact that it is a current STR is nice as it has data to show how well it is doing.Also, is she going to leave it furnished for you?

Use a reputable company to help you ensure it is done well, like Corporate Direct. 

Of course, for investing in rental real estate, you want markets with lower vacancies and ongoing demand.The bottom line is that for a great real estate investment market, you want to invest in areas where the data show signs of current and continued healthy growth.A few sources to find the data mentioned above include City-Data.com and censusreporter.org.

I plan on doing 203k to ensure I have equity, and HELOC it after another year of primary residence to have enough to put 20% down on my first investment property.

There application wasn't the greatest but they were the most qualified at the time and I knew they could mathematically afford it based on the data in the credit report.