Personally if I needed to survive in the desert I'd have no problem checking the Quran for technical tips and this site seems to be the best centralized source of the technical info you need that I've found on the net so just take what info you need from there.

I have been speaking with short-term furnished rental owners who rent to workers or other travelers, and operate near national parks like Yosemite, in urban areas like Oakland and San Francisco, the desert and coastal communities like Palm Springs and Venice Beach..THE COMMON THREAD IS THAT THEY TEND TO PULL IN 2-3 TIMES THE GROSS RENTS OF AN UNFURNISHED LONG-TERM RENTALI WOULD LIKE TO BRING TOGETHER AND HEAR FROM THE SHORT TERM RENTAL BP COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR IDEAS, WHAT THEY ARE DOING/OPERATING, WHAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING BUYING OR OPERATING, AND ANY AND ALL DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SHORT TERM RENTALS.From vacation rentals w/ bikes and toys, to super-high-end corporate rentals for tech employees in Silicon Valley, to families near the lake, medical students or workers on rotation, and oil field workers who need a home away from home...THERE IS A NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF HOUSING FOR NICHE TYPES OF WORKERS AND TRAVELERS ALL OVER THE US AND THE WORLD.I have seen apartments, hippie trailers, house boats, towering castles, spectacular lofts, tiny homes, dirty couches, teepees, yurts, and impeccable $2MM+ homes and estates.

Mountains, deserts, beaches, wine country, redwood forests etc. 

My business partner (ok, let's be honest, my girlfriend) and I started Desert Garden Properties, LLC, and bought two houses.

pretty basic stuff on how to flip high desert dirt.

Figure out how get a reliable PM; if you can't do that then I'd skip OOS and bury your money in jars in the desert or something.

I live in a "high-desert" area where the humidity is low and the evenings cool off nicely.

Charity, mercy, and understanding is what you want, yet the ogre landlady should receive her just deserts.

One, its in the desert and land is cheap.

There are many different Markets in CA where $450k buys you different things, just like in MI.And the $400k in the high desert of San Bern/Riverside does not get you much quality of life.