They are pretty easy to get right now and they offer low rates and hope with you they will make much money off you eventually.You might should plan on Fix and Flip or Quick Flip right now in this economy and try to save all the money you can right now and getting into small apartment complexes are a better way to go. 

In this economy I would recommend Fix and Flip Quick Flip and the main difference of those two is making any repairs/rehab. 

Stagnant economies that don't produce high paying jobs don't lead to increased real estate prices, so appreciation may be ruled out as well.  

I hesitate to call the current market a bubble - there's just too much up in the air to really see what's what, and while RE is a big part of the general health and status of the economy, there are a number of other factors that determine what / when / how the correction happens.The bigger they are, the harder they fall, so unless we (collectively as a society) really have our crap together (which we don't), when we eventually do go down I think it's gonna be a doozy. 

Another option is to speak to the city and see what kind of support they can offer.Where is this community located and is there potential job growth and a sustainable economy in the area?

But your best bang for your buck is going to be with a nationwide intermediary service that has enough economies of scale to be in the middle price wise. 

Tampa - strong economy, few cities have seen the price of homes appreciate as fast as they have in Tampa & Orlando in the past 5 years, the median home increased in value by nearly 47% according to yahoo.

The economy is primarily based on fishing and forestry, which I don't really consider to be sustainable sources of employment in the long-term.

Then there is the economies of scale factor.

With the way this economy is going, a Buy and Fix and Flip might be the best be the best way to go if its location is good and desirable.