They are not buying in cities 1,000 miles away from where they live.  

Purchase price: $118,000 Cash invested: $118,000 Tried to buy a place during the pandemic in NY but was getting outbid like crazy over 100k, so I was lucky enough to buy a condo in tulum mexico and do a short term rental. 1 bed, 1 bath, with community pol, 15 minutes away from the beach and 15 minutes away from the city.

Isn't it great for the city coffers if they have a few more investment properties? 

You are basically changing the dwelling and Baltimore City is not gonna let you do it without getting your money :D))

Unless you have a specific monthly target for your payment you can spread that out to make it a Win/Win.There has been a lot of growth in Denver over the last 2-3 years and new builds as well I just closed on a home for a customer in commerce city they also moved from CA and needed a fresh start. 

The most satisfying changes I've made is move out of tech management and back into just engineering roles, I sold my house in the city and moved to 5 acres in the hills where i work remotely for less money gladly, I've paid off everything, and now I have the flexibility to do anything.

As @Robin Smith mentioned, for assessing demand I used FurnishedFinder.com/stats; you can see demand data for a given city and some pricing data too.

Or is it better to go directly to the city to get the permit process?

I'm a new BP member in New York City & Westchester County.

Orlando is the most visited city in the USA.