Include a contingency fund of 10-20% to cover unexpected costs, as price fluctuations are common.Negotiate with Contractors: Build relationships with reliable contractors and negotiate bulk rates for ongoing projects.

Property management, construction, maintenance, Realty, Beverage, energy, etc...

It's a small town (I think 30,000 people) that's likely going to be difficult to find reliable PM's, tradespeople, etc. 

Exactly how much climate change there will be (as well as how much humans will mitigate it depending on the future of green energy, new technological breakthroughs or if we ever actually figure out that 4th gen nuclear is actually the best option). 

Columbus might offer better cash flow, while SoCal could appreciate faster.Consider your property management strategy—if you're not local to the property, having a reliable manager in place is crucial, especially with S8 tenants.Crunch the numbers: Make sure the deal works in your favor with or without S8 tenants, factoring in all expenses, vacancy rates, and maintenance costs.Hope this helps!

Beyond that, you'll want a reliable contractor for the rehab, a property manager to handle the rentals, and a savvy CPA to optimize your tax strategy.

Just don't get stuck investing time/energy into recouping something that can be recouped in a different investment faster. 

Do you have reliable and affordable insurance?

As for getting a mortgage, you will need reliable income and some W2 to show the bank.

For lenders/banks, quality vacation rentals are clearly a unique and reliably performing asset class..For investment properties these lenders typically require a minimum 20-25% down payment but since there is higher gross revenue, the investor can often qualify for a higher loan amount.