I have a home in Flagstaff, AZ that is on 2.5 acres and backs up to undeveloped state land. 

But if you can finance a home in an appreciating area make it breakeven and at some point (as always) either rents/nightly rates will increase, interest rates will go down, or both. 

Scheduling is the hardest part of construction , good subcontractors are not sitting home waiting for the phone to ring , they are scheduled out weeks if not months ahead of time .

It requires using a home automation platform (I use hubitat), creating an API, and creating some rules within the automation platform. 

Quote from @Brad Roche: The other thing that is great for the FHA 203K loan (not sure about the Homestyle loan) is that you can kick the payments out to 6 months of ownership (so close today and make your first payment July 12th 2025) if you are fixing up the home.

And yes, the home is in a good area, that will continue to appreciate (not extraordinary but still good), and it's easy to get good tenants.Thank you for the input!

You should look for an "investor-friendly" PM company that knows how it is just dipping your toe into the water of buying a home/condo/townhome.. 

@Seth Williams I work in the group home industry.

With a budget of $300K-$400K, you could potentially find single-family homes or small multi-units in those areas.I'd recommend researching rental demand near universities like Duke or NC State or even checking out neighborhoods with strong job growth near tech hubs.

Here are some contacts that might help you build your team in Camden County:Carpentry:Wood World: 267-916-3241Kole Made: 267-332-9663Glenn Pierce: 484-354-5202Plumbing:Ben Franklin In Home: 267-500-8020Roto Rooter: 856-470-1102Greater Works Plumbing: 267-826-6578I hope these recommendations help.