I also went to undergraduate in PA and grad school in AZ, and in both locations large apartment complexes were being built, and the local landlords couldn't compete in one location because of over development by the large corporations.  

As to "(if) we don't run out of water" I'm betting that one of two things will happen sometime in the future, 1) it will be decided to pipe the Columbia river from Washington the way oil is currently being piped across continents, or 2) a process will be developed to desalinate seawater cheaply or a process will be developed to bring moisture out of the air which can currently be done on a small scale.

Never understood why this area developed the way it did.

Agreed, these guys have assembled a few adjoining parcels and are looking to develop some time in the future.

They own about 900 lots in Jacksonville to develop still.

I am the Developer for this project with the intent is to turn an old factory into a 20-25 unit apartment building.

I would develop an escape plan which may involve finding a great deal if you can fire sale if needed.I am not going to comment on the cities you mentioned but they are very different in size and opportunity. 

I am not familiar with NH but it appears that the developers are rezoning it themselves and then building.

Flipping and wholesaling are not the easiest startegies for starting out - both are active jobs (as opposed to an investment) and require a combination of different skills that need to be developed and take a long time to master.

My question is: What is the best way to find an investor/developer/buyer to purchase this property.