Be careful out there....some of the new builds are not comparable to the old builds....many of the newer ones are all siding, no brick, no light fixtures or ceiling fans...just LED recessed lighting...no doorbell, no garage door opener, no attic stairs, one piece tubs, vs tiled baths, no landscaping, no trees, and on and on....they've taken out virtually every single cost.   

2) If the lease that the tenant agreed to included them maintaining the front yard/ landscaping - is it reasonable to deduct a 1 time yard clean-up from their security deposit? 

Are there any recommendations from anyone who have found certain news sites or data sources to extract data from that has helped them understand the current market landscape in their target area?

I would consdier where your target demographic is looking.

The average price per land for urban infill going 6-12 stories high on a higher density product is about 5 million an acre up to about 25 million an acre. downtown market premiums I've seen at the highest are 1200 a sq ft. in columbus you can get land about 1.5 million per acre downtown at best price, sells for about 600 a sq ft max, very little competition compared to miami. tampa I didn't really look at too much because miami has 22 zip codes that you can build at least 6 or 8 stories on and just a much better landscape than other markets. tampa is a little bit bigger than columbus but in my opinion more of a suburban market. miami is landlocked and very limited so everything is in redevelopment. both are amazing opportunities but the barrier to entry is much higher in Miami with the smallest plots of land infill going for at least 1.5 million I would say in areas like Wynwood Norte, Wynwood, etc. we looked all over but prefer east of 95 due to the condominium opportunities. multifamily is very strong in both markets but the condo premiums make it almost silly not to do one from the start and the use of deposits versus a single asset lease up and disposition is a longer sales cycle than the condo buildings being sold out prior to completion.

Understand the neighborhoods, pricing trends, and rental demand to make informed decisions.Stay Open-Minded: The real estate landscape is constantly changing.

Mid-term rentals cater well to this demographic, providing a balance between long-term leases and short-term rentals.4.

I understand Google continues to push into this space and disrupt the online travel agencies, so the landscape might be changing. 

The damage to the property can be handled over the next several weeks (large tree on roof, landscaping destroyed), though it is unclear when we will regain power and water (potentially weeks beyond repair?).

While opinions may vary, I rely on data to help drive real estate decisions and planning.Key ConsiderationsEducational Attainment: 77008 boasts higher numbers of residents with bachelor's (12,241) and master's degrees (5,739) compared to 77063.Demographics: 77063 has a higher percentage of foreign-born residents (41.02%) which typically indicates a strong rental market and with 76.86% renter-occupied versus 32.60% in 77008.Economic Factors: Median income in 77008 is $140,609 with a low unemployment rate of 3.37%, whereas 77063 shows lower median income ($51,899), higher unemployment (9.99%), and more families below the poverty level (16.51%), which may indicate economic diversity but also potential rental payment risks​​.Age Distribution: 77008 has more middle-aged residents (35-54) [8970 compared to 6,115] and a slightly higher proportion of young adults (25-34) compared to 77063 but both are popular with younger adults suggesting strong rental markets equally exist.Housing Market: 77008 features a higher percentage of family households (52.39%) and married-couple families (44.77%), suggesting stability and potential for property appreciation.Digital Advertising Demand: Houston Heights apartments (77008): 50,000 average monthly searches.