Finding contractors in Florida after 2 hurricanes wont be easy or inexpensive 

This is the heart of the reason housing isn't mroe affordable, that landlords bear these types of costs every day.You could probably find cheaper labor, especially to haul away the junk, but not easily as an out of state investor. 

do you guys post off market deals on there/is there a better place to find be off market deals in Canton rather than Craigslist or marketplace? 

It sounds like the agent you worked with may not have been acting in your best interest, and I would strongly recommend finding another agent.

did you find any?

As far as ARV I would find an agent who works with investors to work with you.

The second challenge would be finding land in a decent enough area where building a rental makes sense.

If you can come in and operate effectively I think you'll find success rather quickly due to that.BTW - for a property management platform I would highly recommend Buildium.

Regardless of how a certain asset class is doing, an investor like yourself can ALWAYS find a good deal in any type of property.Now, my general suggestion for all of my CFO clients is the gradually move up the unit spectrum/asset type as you build up your portfolio.

Potential cash flow How did you find this deal and how did you negotiate it?