If a student, then they will have an F-1 visa or J-1 visa, you may have to decide how to handle the rent for summer vacations.Florida has some of the highest percentages of work visa holders in the country, on par with geologists and workers in the oil sector in Houston, researchers, academics, and hi-tech workers in California & Redmond, Washington (Microsoft).  

I don't do bandit signs and I market to many real estate sectors with personalized letters, not the typical 'I'll buy your house' that all the other investors are sending out.

Our unemployment rate has been steadily decreasing this year, we don't have more than 30% of our workforce in any one industry (which helps us maintain stability when one sector sees a downturn) and we have a great university with a teaching hospital that provides stable, well-paid employment for thousands of people (which means good tenants that can pay on time every month).

Assuming it's DSCR/non-qm (which sounds like it is), rate locking in the beginning of the loan is not an option and 5-year prepay is standard int his sector.

Yes, absolutely.The 1031 can be used to change Size, type and geography of your portfolio so you can move into sectors of real estate that have more return potential like the stampede now from SF to MF or from residential to commercial.  

He said his company provides accommodations for temporary workers (for example folks from India who work in the tech sector on a guest worker visa and remain in the US for a year or two at most).Has anyone had any experience renting to these kind of tenants?

I was told by a lender that I need to put 25% down for a 3-unit property in California because in this sector I'll be competing with investors who would be paying cash and flipping for a profit.

If the property is vacant I can just have it keyboxed and let my buyers go at their leisure. 

Not bad, but for investments where I'm happy to make lower returns with large potential upside, I'd rather put my money in sectors other than real estate (and I do).The rentals I plan to buy will cash flow at least 15% COC.

I'm leaning buy and hold primarily, but am open to other sectors/strategies also.