I have not given it great thought about the markets I want to be in. I

Thinking about the long game.

All of this leads to these hot areas costing more to get into and being less desirable to flip in. I

Most syndicators/"investors" are buying at or above market because they are playing the momentum game i.e. prices have gone up in the past 4-8 years, hence, prices will continue to go up. 

Demand for turnkey homes already in perfect shape to live in is actually down a tad, relative to people that want to live out the HGTV fantasy wherein throwing in $20k in upgrades actually adds $20k in value. 

I know many like to stay away from that but I’m partnering with my dad who has rented out mobile homes for 20ish years so I’m comfortable with that going in. I

Typically, they want more skin in the game 50%-65% LTV is common.  

We currently own rental property in Florida so we are not completely new to the game. 

Ultimately it may be in your best interest to take care of it and may be required by law depending on the state.Rats don't squeeze in under a door, not a normal door at least, so I would first make sure that all outside cracks, crevices and holes are filled up, especially in a crawl space to prevent anymore from getting in.Then, again it really depends on the state laws, but after my due diligence is done sealing up the up the outside and inside of any places a rat could get in I would think about telling the tenant that they can buy rat traps or whatever they want to use to get rid of what's is inside and I will reimburse them the cost with a recipe, I would only do this if I felt comfortable with local laws otherwise I would just hire a pest control person to take care of it.

@Emily Edgar Congrats on getting into the game and going for it right away.