I have a couple of agents that I sponsor that does land deals for retail development.

This influx of workers will naturally drive demand for housing, retail, and other services in the surrounding areas, especially in smaller towns and cities that haven't seen major growth in decades.

She was comparing it more to a bed and breakfast, hard to finance.

Unfortunately, the husband lost his job about 8 months ago and, from what I'm told, hasn’t been able to secure another one—not even in retail or fast food.

Are you purchasing them at full retail value after they're done or are you the one purchase the shell doing the renovation but they're just doing the leg work ? 

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.

They will be a 2/3 bed.

High LTV purchased at retail (off mls) has large initial negative cash flow- regulations are tenant friendly.  

I am in retail space not office so just check around.

Putting it all together: If I were starting over and looking for a house-hack in Denver, CO today, I'd be looking for a 4 bed / 3 bath property in the $500K - $600K range in an up and coming area (like Aurora near the medical campus).