The question is, how do people find these connections if it’s an area outside of their original home base?

I will not have to avoid many areas but a few based on crime.

Best to consult your CPA for the most relevant advice based on your state's regulations and tax implications.

I knew guys at Ft Benning who tried to run ads in the base newspaper.

We are based in NY, but we do have clients throughout the country.

Do the math to find out what their usage was and bill them based on that.

I already have income and expense tracking templates but everything is based on either purchase prices for comparison reasons or record keeping.

It all depends upon the total cost of construction, based on that your monthly fixed cost/mortgage will come into picture.You cannot rent too far from market rate, essentially you should have some spread between mortgage(construction cost) and rent to cover for cashflow, vacancy etc.I would suggest you to keep the selling it out as your second exit strategy if renting is your first one. in that case your construction cost + selling cost cannot be more than market price of new construction.You can also try to reach out to developers to give them a piece of the pie but then you will have to sell for sure.

Consulting with a local real estate advisor or financial planner can provide personalized insights based on your specific situation. 

This will vary based on the owners specific situation and tax regulations in your area.