My PM said not to worry because the government pays his rent, but I am concerned that he has no job and makes $900/month in SSI.

My background is IT for Federal Government enterprise systems.

The major issue for me is NC governments is not as friendly to STR investors as TN. 

Sharing tenant information seems to be something the government is into at the moment.

I'd love to utilize their expertise when assessing a property since they are local but I'm not sure what the general expectation is when I don't have a tangible property and I have not entered into contract to work with them yet.Some questions I have are: local regulations/permitting timeline, property's potential from their perspective, landscaping/amenities cost estimate (they also help facilitate this).

I do not live in California but you better look at all state laws and regulations - I know California is very strict and has lots of regulations that can be costly if you are not aware of them. 

ADRs are also compressing it seems from the data.Which cities are best to deal with when it comes to STR rules and regulations?

So far I've been quoted $2950-3400 to have a new railing built that is regulation height. 

Does the government really pay on time? 

California is known for high operating costs.A business-friendly government, which makes it easier to run and grow a company, California is less pro-business than many other states.Your income reliability depends on the tenants who live in your property.