Looks like Tim and Ezekiel have provided a bunch already...What are costs associated with snow/harsh winters?

That fills your unit for the winter and buys you time to prepare for the next time.

I would rather have a vacant property all winter than what I see coming down the road, here.Good luck!

I would like to buy a future retirement home to get away from the cold winters but in the meantime would love to rent it out as a vacation rental.What are the good areas to consider and where would I get the most vacation renters and cash flow?

Do a 1 year lease or if you want to avoid a vacancy in the winter, do 6 or 18 month. 

Winter holiday weekends are also strong.

Don't miss the forest for the trees.Set up last-minute payroll.

Quote from @Marc Winter: Of course, a skill like that is marketable! 

Construction didn't start until Fall/winter 2019.

The focus should be on eliminating vacancy and avoiding chasing unreasonable rental rates, especially in the slower winter months.Here’s a chart showing the median sales price of a single-family home in the City of Austin this year through November:The median sales price for a single-family home in November 2024 was up roughly 8% from the beginning of the year.