Im looking around on some of the more popular websites like Zillow, Loopnet, Realtor etc. 

I have a condo in the heart of the lower greenville, one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city, that I haven't been able to rent for 2 months.

This platform is a wealth of information.

As far as colors for paint, check comps around your property to see what is popular.

The vinyl plank (esp gray color) is popular the cost is no more than $2/sf with underlayer.

Some of the reasons I've invested in the Smokies are: A) it's withstood the test of time as a vacation destination, having been popular longer than I've been alive; B) it's a drive-to destination, not a fly-to one, making it more accessible to people from a variety of financial backgrounds; and C) it's an affordable destination, so it's less likely to feel a big squeeze during recession than a high priced market might.  

I think the odds are a solid 20% right now but get higher every month that the popularity of socialism and taxing the "rich" gets higher and higher

Make an offer on a 3 bedroom 1 bath house in a desirable popular neighborhood that has a finished (non-permitted) basement w/ a full bathroom, sink, separate entrance outside & washer/dryer.

I’m not sure about other platforms, but Airbnb has a Co-Hosting option available. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1243/what-s-a-co-host Use someone you know or another local Airbnb host to manage your rental. 

This is a reason we need strong lobbies to protect businesses that are just not popular.