And good luck to whatever you choose to do.

Depending on your investment horizon that may matter or it may not.

new construction gets valued at a way higher premium. this is a false statement. new construction will always beat existing Very market dependent.

I would advise finding an investor friendly realtor when you choose a market.

Is there a reason you aren't willing to do your own diligence and invest on your own and choose to knowingly take a worse deal through a TK provider?

Several economic factors are contributing to this shift:Overbuilding: Some areas of Charlotte have seen significant overdevelopment, leading to an oversupply of rental units.Tighter Money: Rising interest rates and economic uncertainty have made tenants more cautious with their spending.Tenant Behavior: Many responsible renters are choosing to stay put rather than take on the cost and hassle of moving.What Does This Mean for Landlords?

You should have a good idea of every expense you have in your primary home, then add the STR specific:  (These are rough estimate numbers, depending on various factors)STR insurance - a special insurance that covers both the property and your liability, could be $2~4k in areas without natural disasters, could be more than $10k in some other areas.cleaning fee - approx. $50 per bedroom, so a 4-bedroom house will cost you about $150~200consumables - bathroom supplies, kitchen supplies, beverage supplies: $20~30 per week, depending on how much you providewear and tear - towels, linen, kitchen utensils, some furniture: $1000~2000 per yearRepairs/replacement for things that guests break or steal:  $1000~2000 per yearAlso, if your personal use is less than 14 days a year, the entire property's expense is deductible against STR income, but if you use more than 14 days, then you will have to calculate the proportion of how many days it's rented out vs how many days you or your family uses. 

I have a vision of building and developing mobile home communities in upstate NY that are vertically integrated to allow future members to choose from a catalog of homes, have them installed, provide them with financing options, and make the process of selecting, buying, and living in the community very smooth.Since this is my first time doing this, I would love to chat with an experienced mobile home developer on the following items:Zoning - navigating the zoning process to allow the community to be allowedStart up costs - I am a finance person who would love to better understand start up costs - septic / electrical / water / pads / roads / etcOn Going Maint Costs - in building our business case, I want to build a conservative financial model to capture all re-occurring expenses - utilities, landscaping, capex, septic clean out, etc.I know this is a lot, but would greatly appreciate talking to someone who is an expert in this asset class!

Don't know what else I can tell you to help you choose. 

In all major cities, especially ones with a higher crime index, unless you study the market and know it, I would never rely on someone else to choose a block.