More houses were withheld on the market than demand in 2023.

I believe that the hardest part is the first house.  

However, existing properties may need updates or renovations, leading to potential additional costs.Key Considerations:Market Conditions: Fluctuate, impacting whether buying or building is cheaper.

when looking to go local I would consider a house hack.

With renovations, it is typical to go over budget (especially on your first one), and you want to ensure you have cash to complete the project if unforeseen issues arise.

Now this was also post freeze, so shorter term housing was at a premium. 

Overall, there is probably enough housing in the US for everyone but no one wants to live in Northeast Iowa or Central Mississippi so there's a mismatch between available housing and where people want to live.

How far do traveling nurses prefer to be from the hospital, the houses I'm looking at range from 15 minutes away to 5 minutes away.

It is a lot of traditional sales.Go on the websites of Sirva, Sedgewick, ALE, CRS, and others and submit your housing to them.

I have invested to make the house nicer and added some amenities only to see achievable rents go down from last year.