@alIndian Village.

My main focus has been to rent to students and compete with the single apartment complex in the area, Campus Village.

I looked at probably 6 or 7 other houses here in Old Hickory Village before purchasing.

Do the village idiots flock to wholesaling?

It's in the middle of nowhere in a 1K pop. village.

Curious to find out what ways people have navigated zoning problems with towns/villages that are anti-development, anti-commercial, etc..

As I drive around the area to look at them, I'm struck by the quantity of mid-rises that continue to go up in Midtown, Montrose, Rice Village--basically, everywhere it seems. 

The transfer tax (a BS tax imo) is typically paid by the borrower & is only charged if a village has a transfer tax charge.I could be wrong but I don't think a seller would ever pay for a buyer's property taxes.

The house sat empty for two to three years until the adult children were ready to deal with it.The house was then flipped and the young couple who bought it have been there almost 20-years now ... they new the history of the house when they bought it.Depending on the size (population) of your area, you may need to carry the property a little while before it will sell {smaller the town/village, greater the chance the purchaser (if local) may have a connection with the victim}.

Welcome Joel,I am in Central Florida, specifically The Villages, as well.