I want to know cash reserves and experience level, exit strategy, and then we decide if we had to take the property back as a last resort, would we be comfortable that we'd get our money back.So most of what J Scott uses and none of what Bill Gulley mentioned.

Ginn Development in our town (in default on 4 resorts as we speak) is extending the deadline for owners of lots to build and the article explains that they didn't get enough regime fees to build the golf course building structure as planned (borrowed the money).

That's where I would start.Then ask everyone you know who does real estate in your area (hopefully there will be some response from local investors on this thread), try to get Home Depot to give you the names of some of their installers (they tend to make good handymen in my experience), visit your local REIA, stop by job sites as you're driving past and if the work looks good, get a card from the contractors, and as a last resort, start scouring Craigslist.You only need to find one great contractor.

We were considering a food truck and even had friends willingly offer investment money, but the thought of sitting in that truck all day killed the deal for me.If we go for the rink, my spouse will be running it :) We have the opposite of your hot summers here, looooong white and cold winters, with not much to do for those that don't ski or hunt.

I've done it, but only as a last resort.

After spending the past 11 years helping to transform Las Vegas, I'm looking to start a new project based in the Northern California/Southern Oregon region, reforming RV Parks into flexible RV/Cabin resorts and utilizing my personal connections with AirBNB and various celebrity tastemakers in order to raise the profile and profits of these properties.

Probably pick up a job working as ski patrol/bartend/related job (skiing is my passion) even once I can live on my rent.

As for investor circles, I sponsor and host The Bottomfeeders group of investors who meet twice yearly at a high-end resort near Santa Barbara.

On another note from the aviation world.. the Austin Center had their computers in the basement.. basement flooded  ATC went down... so you had the airlines having to resort to flying like little guys.. flying VFR patterns and calling out their postions on the common radio frequencies which is NOT very common for them.Also departures were old school once an airliner was in the que and number one for take off they had to get on their cell phones and call Houston center for their IFR clearance.. this is what happens in non radar environments.. but its a testament to our aviation system that when tech goes down we can keep flying.. albeit like its 1950 but we keep going

Prefer somewhere with skiing nearby (at least I can go skiing when doing inspections, lol), like Blue Mountain or Hunter Mountain.