Enjoy the journey! 

We are looking at this to be more of an investment then a vacation home for us.

That is really where you want to set up shop, and then spend some time finding the opportunities in that area.What you would not want to do is pick a market because of a property and then not enjoy living there.And like I said, my experience in real estate investing is every market has opportunities, they may look different for each other, but they are there.Hope this helps,Matt

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, even though at times I wanted to tear my hair out :) . 

You fortunately live in a part of the country where a lot of ppl vacation, so you have your pick!

I saw vacation homes selling for 25 cents on the dollar.

I really enjoyed the process and realized that I have a natural ability to connect with people over the phone and break through some of the usual resistance that comes with cold calling. 

Hopefully this will help.Proper Insurance: Offers comprehensive coverage specifically tailored for short-term rentals, including replacement cost coverage and robust liability protection.Allstate: Offers HostAdvantage, a home-sharing insurance program designed to supplement existing homeowners policies for short-term rentals.CBIZ: Specializes in vacation rental insurance with wide-ranging coverage, particularly suitable for homes with additional amenities.Foremost Insurance: Known for its comprehensive vacation rental insurance policies, making it a top choice for many property owners.Obie: Stands out for its focus on short-term rentals, offering tailored policies for this specific market.Steadily: Provides vacation rental property insurance that can be customized to fit the unique needs of short-term rental owners.RentalGuardian: Offers specialized short-term rental insurance products, including options for both property and liability coverage.InsuraGuest: Provides technology-driven insurance solutions specifically designed for the hospitality industry, including vacation rentals.

Something to consider is that while those rural vacation areas can cash flow, you might want to also look at larger cities like Columbus, Ohio, where STR demand is growing because of business travel, university traffic (Ohio State brings in 68k+ students plus tons of visitors), and big events tied to all the new development like Intel, Amazon, Google, and Honda.

I also work with a lending firm that helps investors secure funding to grow their portfolios, so I enjoy seeing others in the community step up to support beginners.