More than happy to connect and strategize with you! 

Choices= bad, horrible or complete nightmare (paraphrasing). 

Seeing as our house is pretty rural, our choices are limited.

Properties are pieces of a market.You're not doing anything wrong with your property analysis, you are doing wrong in your choice of markets.

This surge creates a strategic opportunity for mezzanine debt and preferred equity investors, especially for projects with solid fundamentals.

They had to do it, otherwise many banks and commercial customers are at the point of refinancing and the Government itself is at a strategic debt refinance point; thus, if they didn't lower rates, it would have been a catastrophe short term. 

Not enough information for anyone to determine what to do as this would be based on your financial situation, income, and personal choices along with not knowing anything about what you would build, what it is worth etc. 

Tips include looking into the area, finding places growing, checking rent prices, and looking at loan choices.

Again, a little more than linoleum, but last a lot longer, and depending on color choice, most scratches are hidden.But back to my original point, your tenants will be the primary driver of your success in real estate.  

Single-family homes and small multifamily properties are popular choices here.It's also a good idea to connect with local real estate groups or online communities for advice and to find good property managers.