Property Valuation:Investors look at a variety of factors to determine a property’s value, including comparable sales (comps), rental income potential, and location.

The most popular STR listings in my area have excellent interior design.  

Be sure to factor in repair costs to keep things profitable.

I'm not sure what yields Priti is talking about, but I know that after you factor that tax in, it goes way down. 

Most (not all) HELOCs require that the property is titled to an individual (not LLC) and are full doc, meaning your employment history, income, DTI etc will be factors.

Closing costs are a necessary factor in any loan process and to be expected.

Sapphire is much more of a vacation home community.The deciding factor for me was that Sapphire and Cashiers don't have a lot to do, except for golf and hiking.

I've included an example below to help illustrate this.So different lenders have different rates (which do vary even for DSCR loans) but these are factors they all consider.See example below:DSCR < 1Principal + Interest = $1,700Taxes = $350, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $50Total PITIA = $2200Rent = $2000DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2000/2200 = 0.91Since the DSCR is 0.91, we know the expenses are greater than the income of the property.DSCR >1Principal + Interest = $1,500Taxes = $250, Insurance = $100, Association Dues = $25Total PITIA = $1875 Rent = $2300DSCR = Rent/PITIA = 2300/1875 = 1.23If a purchase, you also generally need reserves / savings to show you have 3-6 month payments of PITIA (principal / interest (mortgage payment), property taxes and insurance and HOA (if applicable).

Hi @Emily Gowen,It sounds like you've really put a lot of thought into this, and you're weighing all the right factors.

Quote from @Sherry McQuage: Make sure to check the zoning to make sure mobile homes are permitted there; check for any hazardous waste designation for the area; will you need to have the parcels surveyed out in order to sell the size you intend?