I'm not very intimate with the markets to the north and south, but I would start looking at price to rent ratios and decide what type of rental type and terms you want to invest in.

Second Street is an international mortgage lender actively investing in Costa Rica.

Purchase price: $199,900 Sale price: $212,000 Fourplex north of Austin.

What might work well on one street could be a completely different story just a block or two away.

Particularly I was looking at North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida... - what markets would you enter today?

I'm located north of Houston, Owned a Real Estate Mortgage company years ago.....

Quote from @Brittany Minocchi: I'm a bit farther north, but I've helped a couple of people with loans in that area - the properties seem to be working out well for them!  

Midnight leaking roofs, frozen pipes in the street all that.

Hope Second Street can be helpful when the time comes.

There are also other new construction homes on our street facing the same issue.So, I’m kind of stuck with this property, which is why I’m exploring ways to cut my losses and exit cleanly.