@Thomas Beard That's tough to put an "Average" to.

What makes you think a 6 bed property with average interior coverings is going to yield $350k in revenue?

Average appreciation is 1.76% on average per year.

If the average stay is 7 days or less (or 30 days with substantial services), the STR activity can be treated as non-passive, allowing losses to offset W-2 or active income if you materially participate. 

That is just crazy.Looking at, “can the average person afford the average house in xxx city" is very telling.It is simple to identify the top and bottom, but the middle is tough.  

For example, the average sales price in Columbus is $375,576 with a 15.8% increase in inventory.

And I'm in the Midwest so the average home price is lower than national average

I’m fine with average cashflow and/or appreciation because I plan to buy and hold long term.

Asking about their average vacancy time, eviction approach, and how often they visit properties tells you a lot about how your experience will go.And just to be transparent, neighborhood selection matters more here than almost anywhere I’ve seen.

Buyers retained negotiating leverage, while sellers who priced and prepared correctly continued to transact.This is a market that rewards strategy over speculation.Key Market Metrics (December 2025)Closed Sales: 427 homes (+4.9% YoY)Median Sale Price: $675,000 (+0.7% YoY | +4.2% MoM)Inventory: 2,503 active listings (-5.7% YoY | -13.1% MoM)Months of Supply: 5.7 (balanced market)Average Days on Market: 60 daysSale-to-List Price Ratio: 96.8%New Listings: 527 (-10.7% YoY)Market Conditions: Balanced With Buyer LeverageWith 5.7 months of supply, the market sits between a seller’s and buyer’s market.