Florida Panhandle Rental - where is best location?

[Heather Horton]

I have been visiting the Florida Panhandle (Destin, Sandestin, 30A, etc.) my whole life as we have family there and it is a good driveable distance for us to travel. Recently I've been thinking that if I'm going to invest in RE, why not aspire to own a beach condo that I could rent out and use a few times a year!? I would be looking for a good deal (under $200k) on the beach with good rental income potential. Does anyone suggest a certain area to look in or areas to avoid? I wouldn't be looking for a super high ROI., just hopefully be able to cover the bills and get a free vacation out of it a few times a year. I'm open to hearing any pros and cons of short-term rentals as well. This would be brand new to me! Thanks in advance!