Don't split the work between multiple contractors if possible, finding one to do all or most of the work will keep prices down.Challenges were finding replacement pieces for certain items as manufactured homes were very different than stick built as well as going through state guidelines for affixing the house to the land

Some piece of communication is missing.  

My best piece of advice is find the most nit picky building inspector you can.

For a smaller piece like that, not sure how creative you can get, but it all depends on what it's zoning is, access, proximity to other things, etc.  

My piece of advice would be to research emerging neighborhoods and focus on areas with strong job growth and infrastructure development. 

My wife and I are looking to purchase a piece of vacant land from her parents. 

Oh my gosh Dustin thank you so much for your guidance, those are the final 2 pieces of the puzzle I was looking for.

@Cosmo DePintoYou've received several responses and pieces of advice, but no one has directly answered your question (until now):-Has anyone had an any recent success using BRRRR in Huntsville? 

Never thought about it but that is clearly a key piece of knowledge that can come in handy whenever needed.

However, I typically like to make a distinction between my parents assets and my own, simply because doing so provides me more satisfaction when I succeed.