Some really smart folks are doing really innovative things in the space.

Maybe we were starting to learn from our urban ancestors in Europe, where the city is an archive of mankind's past achievements and the pedestal for future aspirations.Cities still are, and will continue to be epicenters for technological innovation and higher education.

Declining population, lack of innovative industry, etc.?

Lots of innovations during this period and many of the "bugs" weren't yet worked out.

It's just a tough gig to do a find the property and then find the contractor.You may want to consider areas outside of Tampa Bay proper or even non-traditional property to "create" into something residential (which results in something pretty innovative with a great backstory).Hope this helps expands the thinking. 

To this end, he wooed sponsors to help him build an innovative design that would allow the home to jut out from the hillside, supported by one thick stilt.

Even future battery innovation, company such as Quantumscape (this is the biggest thing in EV) has HQ in Bay Area.

I understand what it would mean in product innovation or art, but when it comes to a real estate, basically the seller wants the highest bid, period. 

Right now I currently own a fourplex in which I Airbnb 3 out of 4 units plus a single family that I just bought in Nov 2020 that is now my residence.

I closed on a 24 unit apartment in Nov, and post close found a handful of small issues like this (leaky fridge, missing sheetrock in closet, etc.) that I just had to eat.2) Did you get the property professionally inspected prior to closing?