If investing in a cold climate location,  I'd also call the gas company to provide you with the average gas bill for the past 12 months to get an accurate estimate of the Utilities for your property. 

We are considering a self-build but given the current economic climate we may wait to break ground.

There are some areas of northern California where Vacation Rentals off the grid may be marketable, but probably not in the actual northern California areas, but more the central California (north of the bay area a little in more mild climates)  In some of the mountain areas and near the coast, such as Trinity, Humbolt counties, there are drug cartels growing pot, and several people have gone missing (they stumble upon the gardens or have gone to work at the grows, never to be heard from again).

I definitely understand the delays with permitting and otherwise (particularly in today's climate). 

How do we win in this climate? 

Our climate may make a garage a bit more desirable than yours, but I think at $25 you're selling them a bit short there. 

I would only do short turn around SFR flip and watch out for changing housing climate with Washington DC on edge and drama.

I originally planned to look at any and all properties and figured that the sellers market and the current real estate climate down here would convince them to sell.

I have found myself more and more interested in climate change recently and would like to gather the thoughts and opinions of some of my neighboring real estate investors on how you all think climate change will affect the RE market in Miami.

Winters tend to suck, but obviously climate isn't much different from NYC.