Sellers rarely mind the low deposit and extended closing period due to the nature of the property, or at least they can be made aware of the fact that their lot has issues that will take MY time and MY money to solve and then they come around.My terms on the flip are: Minimum 10K spread between purchase and flip value.  1-2K deposit upfront to hold the property for 7 days then the deposit becomes non-refundable after the 7th day and the buyer has the same amount of time that I originally negotiated with seller typically 8-12 months(its a purchase contract but because of contingencies its essentially an option).  

If in the rare chance they do allow short term rentals in the HOA rules/regulations and association documents, don't be surprised if they change that ruling after you buy. 

As Alexandra said, Sep - Dec you will have almost 50% drop in occupancy.

Went through extra fast because the developer really had no other good optionsI doubt we'll know the full details for years to come but I'm curious if you have an opinion, or if there's other probable options C,D,E I could be missing as just a public bystander to the situation @Rene Hosman It's very rare that anything gets done quietly behind the scenes.

The people who are and have been doing it properly for years are rarely talking about it because they're busy actually doing deals and not selling classes. 

Rare do I hear of recommendations but I do hear people asking.I would think in any big city you think about, a visit to a local NARPEM meeting or 2-3 visits would be a great idea. 

4) Keep my money in a guaranteed savings account making 4.5%, until rates drop more or something changes, and the numbers are better to make a move?

Sundays see if they need Sunday newspaper drop off.  

In the meantime, I took my $5,500 fee I would have paid to Tardus, dropped it into Prosper and 2 loans have already defaulted (yup…not even a month in and not likely to see that $50 again). 

It would be a rare new RE investor that could hope to have taken on this project without partners with experience.My point is investors in different stages of life and experience have different criteria for their RE investments.