Real property does not have to generate revenue or even have the foreseeable prospect of generating revenue in order to qualify under Section 1031. 

By 2022 even that did not work anymore and we would yield -10%, meaning my cost was higher than ARV.

Yes, it is a numbers game.They say... 1) Postcards are easier to get glanced at and tossed. 2) Letters have a greater chance of getting opened and read. 3) Hand written notes and envelopes get opened even more.You could spend about a dollar per letter mailed doing it yourself, or you could spend $2.50 or more each for a company to do it for you and maybe have "mechanized handwriting."

When I call an agent they either accept my offer price for their house or they don't even if they have been on the market for months and their asking price is clearly way above market value.

Hi Shawn - yes you are correct, it's just a template to know what kind of deal to even look for. 

Depsite what you hear real estate is very risky and STR arbitrage is even more so. 

Hence, their clients and even tenants have been suffering.

Even with a straight forward build, you're 100% correct, the time to market is still faster with a full gut and renovation. 

I wouldn't buy a 12 unit with all 1 beds built in 1912 just because of the age, even though it was renovated in 2018.

If the cash flow was only $100, $200 even $300 it would not be worth it.