Is the title of your post to be why AREN’T more people investing there or is it truly why are they?

@James McGovern that's not a specific issue to real estate though. 

Since he did minimal work and sounds like you are good with what you paid him (or should be good with what you paid him) that is really all that I would be worried about, and make sure he does not come back and try to put a lien on the place prior to selling stating he was hired to a job and was not paid.

@Vivan Bhalla Situations like this tend to only get worse.

If you’re an out-of-state investor eyeing short-term rentals, you know the usual suspects — are often oversaturated, overregulated, or both.

Try this.

They offer deceptively cheap management fees, and fund themselves through very high "add on" fees that they do not share with the client.

Why can't you sign a regular lease?

We offer non-QM products anyway, so why not add another to increase our buyer pool. 

I have been trying to get 1 short term rental property, just 1 for the past five years.