Plus it will lessen your competition as most people run away from rough properties....

I assume this is competitive but will continue to seek a few more quotes...

If you are handwriting it you will be better than the competition at least.

Would this scare you away from the market with all the new competition?

Owner builder or building with a Contractor are questions I need answered plus any info I can get to improve my changes of getting a competitive loan. 

The gulf coast is a great place to invest and receives tons of visitors every year but we are seasonal(you'll earn most of your money March - Oct) and there is a lot of competition so you can't just pick any property listed in the MLS and make money investing here. 

Out-of-state Section 8 might bring in more money quickly and could be less competitive, but it also comes with risks like not knowing the market well and less control over your property.

You could hire a PM that will cost about 30% of gross income.Also there are people that thought it would be great to get into a STR and found out it is very competitive in many markets and they were having to make up the mortgage payments. 

I feel that it is very competitive in this business that has razor thin margins.

@Hillary Klumppit's tough to find good deals, as there is lots of competition for good deals among both homeowners and investors; good contractors are booked up, sometimes for years; materials are still expensive; appraisals are inconsistent; prices have leveled off and so aren't helping on the refinance.it's great that you have flip experience!