The issue is that cement board was more expensive and difficult to work with in its early days than it is now, while greenboard was cheap, easy, and fast, so a lot of bathroom renovation guys took "water-resistant" to mean "waterproof" and extensively used greenboard in conditions when they shouldn't.

Keep in mind however Florida specifically coastal city's are highly desirable location for snow birds to look towards in the coming months due to the cooling weather.

I think an eviction attempt from a scammer is highly unlikely, and easily resisted for a lengthy time. 

@Victor Saumarez from what you've shared, it sounds like your goal should be to find good sponsors who specialize in an asset class with the ability to weather the next recession. 

With how busy the construction industry is right now everyone wants retail prices weather doing a nice 400k suburban home or a 40k rental.

In a cold weather climate like where Im at in PA, cold weather months can be harder to find a tenant, but I always seem to have sufficient applicants even in winter to find someone suitable without leaving a unit vacant long.

I would explain to the mom that you need to deal with the kid (leaseholder), and if they resist (by explaining its impossible), then make an EXCEPTION.

Super easy to worth with and very resistant to damage.

The caution of buying in appreciation markets is that you have to be able to weather the storm of a market down turn.

That said, there are pockets all over with well established historic neighborhoods that seem to be attempting to weather the storm.