Larger families, remote workers, or investors could see it as ideal, especially if local schools or amenities like parks, dining, or entertainment are strong.

You should definitely be able to find decent multifamily properties for under $200k, and multifamily would be my suggestion for starting out if you can swing a larger down payment (depending on loan type, you MAY need 10% more for a multifamily vs a single family, but not always).

Partnerships or syndications can help scale into larger deals.

For example, South Cape has larger tourist destinations such as Cape Harbour, the downtown area, Yacht Club, Marina Village, etc, where there's really nothing comparable to any of those districts in the Burnt Store area.

However the property has a freeway behind it and hence no rear neighbors /more privacy.You’re going to see low or negative returns with minimum down payments in that area unless you’re going BIG as in much larger homes and much heftier budgets for design/amenities.There’s great cashflow on the Clearwater/Largo/Seminole/StPete side - you’re looking at 2 high cashflow buckets that I call Tier 1 and Tier 2. 

I'm also growing a network of potential partners and investors, and will likely turn to them if that ceiling continues proving to be problematic - and will do so for larger properties even if I'm able to break through the ceiling on my own.

There's nothing wrong with seeking concessions if there are issues that arise in the report, but using this as a strategy will garner you a reputation within the community if you are repeatedly going under contract and then seeking large re-trades. 

Thanks for your time and energy. 

You find good deals and leverage your time, energy and hustle the money will show up to partner up with.

Costs can be on the lower end if you use more standardized templates, while custom documents tailored to specific deals tend to fall on the higher end.Location can also play a role, with attorneys in larger cities often charging more.