@Elan Adler,As @Michael S. said, a $250,000 budget is going to be a bit tight if you’re looking to buy in Huntsville proper.Luckily, your budget would go a long way in nearby suburbs.

I wanted to try something close to the park with exceptional views to stand out.I live nearby close to Knoxville and have spent the last 8 weekends at the cabin doing most of the finishing work myself.  

I'm based out of NH, which means most of my nearby markets tend to be quite expensive.

Also, since it is nearby the LA county areas, how does earnest money work?

I like military bases to be near by and look at what the gov’t pays for rents, which is how I set my goals for my monthly payment on the houses I buy.

I am sure it could work well in a student setting where everyone is attending a nearby university, but other than that, I don't think the juice is worth the squeeze.

Another argument might be that you can never tell when a neighborhood is going to crash in its property values, or when people will migrate to a nearby one that is flourishing.

I would look at other nearby 5 star listings where guests stay 4-5 days, and see what the cleaning fees are, to see if what she's asking is reasonable.  

Rents have also been increasing.The area also has good potential for appreciation, especially with ongoing developments and improvements in nearby neighborhoods.

Take a close look at properties that are doing well nearby and see how you can model what they are doing and then add some extra perks to beat those too.