I live here and am a Realtor in Baldwin County.

And others have pointed out that building in flood zones can be much more expensive with special permits, requirements like living area starting above base flood elevation, probably more than the $25K difference in the lot that's not in a flood zone.  

I forgot to add, we live in South Texas (McAllen in the RIo Grande Valley).

They live in another state and I dont know exactly where they went and the internet is super confusing on who is legit.

I have lived on the west coast of Florida for a total of 15 yrs.

Access to golf course from the home, located at the 18th hole; Property has a double car garage and is located at the end of a culdesac.

You shouldn't have an issue putting a lease in front of them to renew if they want to continue living at the property.

Are you looking to do 50% down in high cash-flow areas to get a consistent return month to month to live on?

A full-time security guard might help eliminate this, however, for a property of this size, that is simply cost prohibitive.I’m wondering if the market is just tough for everyone right now, if we’re looking in the wrong places, or if our criteria are too tight for tenants willing to live in this class C- neighborhood.Would love to discuss/brainstorm this in more detail with anyone who has experience filling class C units in this downtown Phoenix market.

In regards to the STR, I live about an hour away from mountain town markets in Western NC, and would love to start my STR investment here if the numbers make sense.