Conceptually a deal could be distressed for three reasons: (1) The physical plant is in poor shape; (2) the market is oversupplied or challenging in some other critical way; or (3) the operator (i.e, manager) is performing poorly so there is no cashflow.

Incentives & Redundancies Reduce BurnoutAmerican Airlines offered double pay and extra hours to get the crew back in position.In property management terms: build incentive structures for your on-call teams, use rotation systems so the same maintenance technician isn't pulled 24/7, and cross-train staff, so you're not reliant on one person for critical tasks.When you prioritize team sustainability and flexibility, you recover faster and maintain service quality.4.

I am single, so the timing of disbursement of my assets isn't critical to support anyone. 

Overpricing out of the gate.The first 14 days a property is listed are the most critical!

Like Aaron mentioned, saving more and keeping strong reserves is critical early on.

I think ALL marketing works it's just a function of sticking to it for an extended period of time.

A functioning STR isn't worth any more than any other condo like it in the complex.

YouTube is probably full of great content on budgeting and all the other functions you listed.

Planning for minor updates upfront—like fresh paint, durable flooring, and functional appliances—also helps make your property attractive for longer stays.

As an investor, I always come back to ROI and function.