So, you don't have to build the Taj Mahal to attract tenants.

.- I'm drawn to the Mt Pocono area for it's proximity to local attractions, but does anybody have any other recommendations?

Back in the dark ages ('80's) I would approach older home owners & offer them a buyout with them holding the note at an attractive interest rate.

Also, most sex offenders are one time offenders with no actual sexual attraction to children in general and these days a large number of sex offenders did not even offend a minor. 

My cleaning lady first reported signs of a rodent when she cleaned it out in August to get it ready to rent. 

If not, how do you plan to attract tenants? 

It is a knish market and to succeed you must have a well known name and reputation to attract the elite that will pay based only on being able to drop names among their world of elites. 

I would be using the existing structure for storage for an existing business (which could pay rent to my RE entity), and hopefully building on the land in the long run once the neighborhood becomes more attractive.

Trying to understand how to attract our vacation rental investment owners.

I would raise there rent to full market (they are not good enough tenants to deserve a reduced rent) and mention the filth being unacceptable and liable to attract insect/rodent infestations.