He kept in touch with local contractors, and one tipped him off about a homeowner who ran out of funds mid-renovation.

Professional guidance can be obtained from local personal experts experienced in your particular niche.  

here is what Showmojo shows in their market research and I would say our local numbers show this out as well. hopefully the 2024 line takes a dive down but historically that is very unlikely.

@Cathy Fitzwilliam There are some great real estate meetups in San Diego that are full of local pros and out of state investors. 

Hey Chris, a few thoughts here.Considering that office is not attached to the house, I wouldn’t add any footage to the total home square footage; however, you could advertise that office space and amount of footage and amenities in your remarks.If you’re a Realtor or are using one for the sale, your local MLS may have fields dedicated to additional footage for other buildings on the property, such as ADU’s.The other point is that typically, perhaps depending upon location, a space needs to have heating to count in the square footage, which this office doesn’t have if I understand correctly.Consider contacting an appraiser to inquire about how they would handle this space on an appraisal, or a Realtor.

Try some local real estate meetup groups in Houston.  

Been looking around North Conway its one of my other favorite spots to visit each year cozy little town with a lot of local amenities.

Just call a local real estate attorney , they will draft up a note and deed of trust for you for a fee :)

I paid $600k and got a local bank to loan 75% for 5-years at 3.85%. 

Then research local regulations and tourism and data.