You might make it work if you can find a way to increase cash flow aside from the basic long term rental strategy. 

Boosting your score doesn’t take long, and there are services that can review your credit history and help you increase it within a couple of months. 

Absolutely - East Hill is a really popular area for traveling heath care professionals, as well as military on short term TDY orders who are looking for furnished stays.Keys to success for my condo have been keeping the furniture fresh, and not looking like every other listing out there.

You’ll lose any property tax caps they may have enjoyed and be increased to the non-owner occupant tax. 

All of these small details can increase value and bring buyers for zero dollars. 

FHA Loan (Best for House Hacking) 🏡✔ 3.5% down option (keeps more cash for reserves)✔ Must live in one unit for at least 1 year✔ Mortgage insurance increases costs✔ Good for maximizing leverage if you want to save cash for future investments3.

Expand your network, educate potential investors, and leverage social media to increase your reach and influence.

Additionally, what do you look for in a property to increase the value i.e. what are typical items to target?

You may need to increase or decrease the expenses based on your situation.

Those were very good areas a couple of years ago when people were less aware of Ocala but it's gained in popularity so it's become tougher to make the numbers work, but there are still deals to be had, especially for rentals.