I've taken some classes there and many of their instructors are leaders in their sector. 

You have to consider Seller's perspective in that you are "new" to the manufactured housing sector (assuming Seller/Broker are aware of your "newbie" status).

He basically said if someone was able to build an HOA management platform that was both user-friendly and affordable, there would be a real market there.Having deep knowledge of relational databases, java rest APIs, user-friendly UIs and just building/deploying web applications in general, plus having built these types of systems many times before professionally -- albeit in different sectors/industries -- I’m seriously considering a side project to build some type of HOA SAAS (software-as-a-service) product that will hopefully make people’s life’s easier without costing them a fortune.My question is, before I invest time and energy in this, is there actually a market there?

In the past 12 years, the travel and leisure sectors of the economy have exploded.

Well that’s another reason of why I gave him first dibs he kind of can do it at his leisure since I can’t refinance it for six months

I'd add to that by observing that if you look at what every syndicator in America is trying to buy (medium to large apt complexes) this is maybe not the best sector to find good deals in. 

Some industry sector will be hit in the U.S., and it varies from one city to another city.

Then all bets are off.If you build or buy an STR now you are simply speculating going into a down turn (fact) at peak prices (fact) into a market space that is being devastated (fact) - travel and leisure business' are nonoperational in most of the country and the world and if not in your area now it will be tomorrow or the day after or next week.

The property is the first residential lot adjacent to a commercial sector.

The digital assets sector significantly outpaced all other REIT sectors.