But i hope oos people do steer clear of florida investing.  

I am not saying this is the Norm, and I know of only two men that this happened to- both could be considered deep pockets type people.

During this period, there is typically less competition from other buyers, as many people prefer to move during the warmer months or avoid house hunting during the holiday season.

I just want  people to be aware. 

And maybe a bigger question i had for the more knowledgeable individuals is: Is the practice of wholesale real estate shady in itself or is it just a lot of the people that it attracts?

Depending on what you qualify “upstate” as (I’m in the Syracuse area) people are always looking for vacation rentals on the water, primarily Oneida lake and Lake Ontario especially in the summer time

If he actually sends people to work I'm guesstimating that there's maybe 1 or 2 weeks of work left to do at most but I see 1 or 2 things done each week.

Depending on how much material or items you need there's always people selling excess material and items they ended up not using or needing, typically at a discount.

I manage STR's on Oahu in Hawaii, but I know a lot of people who absolutely crush it managing their own units.

After a couple of times having people still walk away, I now require that plus a signed lease.