These are top drive-to destinations for much of the Southeast, so short-term rentals here can generate solid cash flow, especially during peak seasons.The area is also seeing steady growth, with more infrastructure and amenities being added to support visitors and new residents.

The ability to adapt and think creatively will set you apart. 

It comes down entirely to your ability to commit to the deal and close it on time.

@Kegan SchollFrom my experience, if you're a 22-year-old house hacker, Texas and similar markets can be great for room rentals thanks to population growth, strong demand, and tourism.

Plus new folks do a very poor job of screening the buyer for Ability To Repay (ATR) which involves pulling full doc and calculating the borrowers DTI, honest income, honest debt payments, prior debt payment histor (FICO) etc etc.Plus shockingly (or shocking to sellers) if you bought this investment house, fixed it, then are selling with financing you are selling "inventory" and y9ou owe taxes on the gain in the year of sale, you are NOT able to use installment sale to spread out paying taxes. 

(your 55 days of vacancy was for the most part the holiday period).Vacancies are pretty high and based on BLS statistics, population growth has been flat. 

We love the ability to move cash in and out of the heloc as needed.

Expanding your portfolio, streamlining tenant management, diversifying income streams, building a network, and planning for growth are also recommended.

That makes a big difference in the answer to what Charles eloquently referenced regarding confidence in your ability to close. 

The Austin metro was among the hottest destinations in the country for where people were moving last year, according to the latest annual ranking from U-Haul International Inc.Austin ranked No. 5 among the top U.S. growth metros in 2024, and Texas was the No. 2 state for move-ins — bested from the top spot after three consecutive years by South Carolina, according to data released Jan. 2 and Jan. 3.The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area took the crown for the top growth metro in the recent list, followed by Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 2); Phoenix (No. 3); and, Lakeland, Florida (No. 4).