Not familiar with those markets, but here is my experience starting at 22 and what I regret after house hacking twice: https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/922/topics/1133476-hous...

Every market can be invested in successfully.

I'm actively seeking mentorship from someone with experience in similar markets who can shed more light on this process.

I used a hard money loan to purchase this off market deal.I rehabbed the upper two units within two and a half weeks and have a renter already lined up for one unit.

I would rather invest in safe markets that produce a good return, then I can use that income to pay for a vacation anywhere in the world.I'm very pessimistic about the STR market in Hawaii.

Fairmont is a good little market!

I tell people all the time: if you can't find a quality PM in a market, don't invest in that market!

.🔹 Profit Multiple Ways – You can rent the property for cash flow, sell the option at a profit, or buy it later at a pre-agreed price (often below market value).🔹 Great for Sellers & Investors – Motivated sellers can turn a vacant or hard-to-sell property into income while investors secure future deals without a huge upfront commitment.🔹 Ideal in Any Market – Whether home prices are rising or falling, lease options allow you to lock in today’s price while benefiting from future appreciation.Other creative strategies—like seller financing, subject-to deals, and the BRRRR method—can also open doors, but lease options remain one of the most powerful, low-risk, minimal cash out-of-pocket ways to build a portfolio.

@Arun Maheshwari we work with clients to find turnkey rentals in Houston, DFW, and San Antonio in TX, but also have 8 other markets we're in across the Midwest/midsouth.

Quote from @Devin James: Gross Margin is an important calculation for developers/builders.Gross Margin = Gross Profit / RevenueWe shoot for a 20% gross margin on our New Construction HomesReal #’s:Home Sales Price: $374KClosing Cost: $18,700Cost of Construction: $258KLand Cost: $30KGross Profit = $67K$67K/$374K = 17.9% Gross MarginCame slightly short of our goal of 20%Homes Values and Build Costs are constantly fluctuatingI wish we had a crystal ball build larger homes. average new build in our market is 2200 square feet, 4 beds, 3 baths, 2 car garage and sells for 515k. construction costs lower if design is good and find the median or average home sale price and push that up. my guess is you built too small. 347k is cheap. we target 429-479k price range in columbus ohio for single family homes and also only purchase close to urban core where premiums are 20% higher and we build smaller like 1500 sq ft where price per square foot goes up.