Nobody knows what is going to happen with rates...trying to guess or forecast is a fool's errand. 

With that said, what are things to look out for (weather, snow, insurance, sewer lines, etc)?

With no lease in place, you could get stuck.So I guess there's a chance for absolutely every tenant, weather they stay 1 day or 365, to take advantage of you without a lease.

Scrutinize financial records and forecasts to ensure they align with market trends and property performance.Legal and Compliance Issues: Zoning violations, unresolved legal disputes, or non-compliance with regulations pose significant risks to your investment.

IF you don't have the balls or finances to weather that kind of time frame, go buy some equities or govt debt. 

Is that financial loss that detrimental to you, to you cannot weather it? 

my budget for acquisition is $150k+in cash. my expected ROI I guess depends on ARV of the property, how much rehab it will need and weather I decide to flip it or hold it. 

Subscribing Steve because I also need to get out of CT to warmer weather!

The metro area population of Montgomery in 2022 was 367,000, a 1.94% increaseResidents and large corporations are attracted to the State of Alabama's pro business climate of low taxes and Sun Belt weather.

There are winter weather issues and so many things that come up from not being physically there The numbers someone gives you on a spreadsheet are ideal scenarios.