I'm being told that the area will have zoning laws within the next 5 years so I guess it would be who of me to get this thing going.

@Don Konipol, I guess my only real challenge to your thoughts are the definition of investments.  

My guess is in that price range and limited window, you will not make enough additional appreciation to make renting it out make sense, so unless you planned on keeping it forever as a rental you are probably best off selling and cashing out.

Cutting down on gov't spending and the pulling jobs back into the US should help offset some of the tariffs, but it will come down to which items exactly do get tariffs put on them and to what degree the tariffs are (10%/20%/50%).Overall, my guess is that rates will go down for early next year, rise during the middle quarter-third of the year, then fall slowly afterwards.

I've never looked into it so I don't know much about it from the lender's pov.All I know is I am interested in doing short term loans so I guess that would make me a hard money lender?

I am guessing you are not working with a real estate agent.

As you mention the reality is there are very few sellers who will do seller financing and my guess is its probably around 1%.

I guess this also depends on how many rentals you have and what features you require in a PMS.

<not sure rent amount -will have to analyze, but guessing $1500 - $1800 furnished/utilities> (496sq)I'm so torn....

I guess the leg work and he fact of being remote scares me, but so does any investment!