It’s an older unit and I was planing on replacing in 2 to 3 years but the technician told me the reason the unit went out was because the tenants left the thermostat on at 45 degrees for several weeks, meaning the AC wasn’t able to turn off and reset.

As somebody who's planing on investing in real estate in the Houston area I want to have as thorough of an understanding about flood risk as possible.

I’m mostly just starting out, currently hack hacking, planing to buy my next duplex in the next few months.

I think that's still better than having to hop on a plane since I'm new at this and want to fully be hands on in learning the process. 

The other is that I have a competitive advantage there- one of my good friends from high school lives there and walks 6 miles to/from work every day, so I can get honest opinions about neighborhoods without having to get on a plane (as I see my 91-year old grandfather every week, a plane trip is a risk I'm not currently willing to take).

If you are planing to stay in LA then you need to think where would you like to invest and how you going to do it. are you willing to move?

Yes I’m planing to pay it off in 2years the most.Thanks for the info.

I second Troy and Colleen, on this I currently own a Home that I got as a "steal" picked it up as an REO at about half the going avg rate for homes in this town, in a good neighborhood, I was informed at closing no less that it was in a hundred year flood plane and I'd need an extra 1300 a year for flood insurance..

I want everything planed down to a T before I walk into the bank. 

It's not just occupancy in the smokies that is ballooning right now it is average daily rate as well, and it's worth considering if a simple 4br no frills cabin will keep renting for $1k/night after the travelers who would typically be doing their summer trip overseas and spending $6k on family plane tickets alone return to that type of travel.