The "Hopeful Investor" usually hits a wall the moment the first maintenance emergency happens at 2 AM.I really resonate with your point about STRs being hospitality assets rather than just passive real estate.Operating on the ground in Cape Town, I’ve seen many international owners struggle because they treat it like a traditional rental and underestimate the operational systems required to maintain that 90%+ occupancy Eric DeNardo mentioned above.While tools like PriceLabs are essential baselines, I’ve found the real 'Strategy' comes from integrating that data into a live stakeholder dashboard (like Monday.com) so the owner isn't left in a 'black box'.The 'Real Money' is made in the operational execution and navigating the local compliance/demand drivers before you buy.Curious, how are you currently bridging the 'Transparency Gap' so your remote owners feel as connected to the asset as if they were local?

I really like @Michael K Gallagher point about there being a lot of data noise out there.I'd find your specific key metrics that matter most and lean into those.  

For STRs, location really is everything, and the best way to analyze what works is to look at actual performance data in similar properties, not just asking rents or hype—focus on nightly rates, seasonality, occupancy, local regulations, and competition density, then back into conservative numbers to see if it still works.

The bigger variable isn't usually the percentage - it's the land vs improvement split, which you've correctly identified.For quick estimates while property hunting, I'd use county assessor data to get the land/building split for each listing, then apply a flat 25% assumption for accelerated depreciation.

If anyone wants rental data, comps, or more detail — happy to share privately.Thanks in advance.

The reason was simple: AI, data centers, and advanced manufacturing are consuming power faster than the grid can support, and waiting years for traditional permitting and financing timelines isn’t an option.That’s an important shift.

Go ask Grok what the top game amenities are in STRs based on historical/research data and see what it says. 

They sometimes offer a free in person rent estimate, but honestly a solid property manager should be able to get very close using photos and market data.

Experienced lenders rely on data, not impressions. 3) Narratives are verified, not taken at face valueEvery loan has a story.

This gives owners the hard data they need to defend against negligence claims during lender reviews.We are currently deploying at a CapEx significantly below that $300/unit mark you mentioned, specifically to protect that Class B/C deductible exposure.I’d love to take you up on the offer to connect—your perspective on how lenders are normalizing high insurance assumptions is exactly what we are solving for.