My primary goal is maximum cash flow in an area that will rebound once the economy comes back if ever.

The chances of interest rates dropping further from a 50 year low is not probable so this is the time to take on cheap debt while many cycles are just rebounding to hold for the long term.

However; when the market crashed, we relocated to southern California where the market rebounds faster.

Is Orlando rebounding at all?

The RE market is not rebounding (if so, what are the extant catalysts and drivers supporting this naive hope?)

I think the problem is you are seeing Multifamily rebounding in most markets and the buyers have blinders on.I always enjoy talking to other brokers.One in particular I talk to every once in awhile.He is in Georgia and has been a broker since 1960 (14 years before I was born!!).

It gave this as a reason, "The housing market’s rebound has been restrained by the so-called shadow inventory of homes with mortgages at least 90 days delinquent, in foreclosure or already owned by banks, while foreclosures had been stalled since late 2010, when state attorneys general and federal regulators began investigating abuses by banks, including lost or doctored paperwork.

Another option is to purchase investment properties and hold them for a period of time until the market fully rebounds.

I doubt you will get any money down if you do this, but you can guarantee an equity plan for them when the market rebounds in the area.

My long term goal here is basically to rent it out for another few years until the market rebounds and then do a quick clean up on it and then sell.