Not the greatest occupancy rate, especially when compared with somewhere like the Smokies.

The Northeast and Midwest are expected to be less affected by the oversupply compared to the Sun Belt and luxury properties.

Id keep looking if it was not an approved short sale ( even an approved short sale takes a very very long time and theres no guarantee that you will even close on the house after months of waiting). q1)There are plenty of non traditional lenders that could offer you construction financing if the numbers make sense but it will cost you with points and a higher rate.

Compare similar listings—are they renting while yours sits vacant?

Appreciation kind of lags compared to other places further east in northern Alabama.

We aren't the traditional flippers who run in, throw up a lick of paint, hide the disastrous side of things and essentially trick people into buying a lemon.

Private Money Loan: Private lenders might be a flexible option, especially if traditional routes don’t work.

., major systems like plumbing/electrical)Full Gut/Studs Down: $85-$120 per sq. ft.Luxury Finishes: $150+ per sq. ft.For ARV (After Repair Value), you’re absolutely right—it’s all about comparable sales ("comps").

We don’t know any PMCs to recommend in the area mentioned, but since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant, you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”:https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processesWe recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

If I were to do a traditional VA loan, the loan would be close to 7%.Below are what I understand to be the numbers so far:Seller purchased the property in DEC 2022 for $1.13M (owned for 2yrs)Current estimates are Zillow= $1.26M/  Redfin=$1.323MOur agreed purchase price is $1.25MSeller financing would be $120k @ 8% for 3yrs.No commission cost.Small percentage of fees/ costs in the tune of 1.5% of loan amount.Let me know what you think and if you need any additional info.