CFRI.net I guarantee you will find people doing what you want and you can start a journey.

Hot tubs are not a big draw here, but necessary in mountains IMO.The few times Ive been in NOLA (excluding Katrina with the Army :/) I did not feel like I needed a pool, nevertheless a hot tub.I would find the data and let the numbers guide you, but Im thinking maybe a plunge pool as mentioned above.

My concern with a house is finding the balance between acquisition price and appeal in a beach town. 

This is a great place to start though and learn.I would join some Host and local Facebook groups or see if you can find any property management groups that may need help in your area. 

Hope you guys find what you're looking for!

And does he help you find financing if you don't have any money for a down payment?

You can easily do this on a spreadsheet, and it will take less time to track than finding and learning new software.

You'll eventually find out you're wrong.

What I've done for our quest outside the USA is to find the best local real estate agent in the area I'm looking in.

I agree, DSCR is the best option because it is flexible, but you can always work with someone who can evaluate your situation to find the best option FOR YOU.