No, DIY is not the same as a virtual site visit or a study done by engineers @Dana YobstAs @V.G Jason said, you could very likely cost yourself more in time and money.

@Rich Weese , Wow, thank you so much ..

Wow - I was contacted by Charles / HostGenius a while back and spoke with him.  

The property I am evaluating is a 3 bed, 2.5 bath home that would primarily serve as a weekend getaway rental targeting Southern California visitors. 

In some areas you have to fight your taxes every year or you will pay much more than you should.Find a local attorney that fights property tax assessments in your county and have a conversation with them. oh wow.

@Trevor Ware Your strategy to restore distressed homes will help with your concerns about property taxes, as you will be acquiring the property at a discount and therefore keeping the assessed value low.My approach to a sound STR strategy is to target workers/visitors that will be in the area for a specific reason.

This park has more than double the annual visitors as the next closest park (12.1M visitors annually as opposed to Grand Canyon in #2 spot at 4.9M). 

Wow, Melissa, thanks a lot for that advice.

It's up a sliver over past few years but wow, trending sideways for most part and way below historical norms. 

Quote from @Chris Zias: Wow.