I'm grateful that other real estate experts online can at least validate that real estate investing is being affected by current economic events. 

Hi @Blake WilliamsI own a brokerage and have worked with most of the largest hard money lenders in our space and at a high volume level.

Most floor rates across your largest lenders are 6.25-6.5%.

For example, the areas economically influenced by NYC commuters: Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam behave very differently than areas influenced by NY State employees from Albany, or farmers from (not sure?).

I’ve met with founder of tax & title service several times and convinced that the appetite for risk is based on economics of risk and return.

Stuart I have been with my commercial banker now since 1993.. started with a little 100k  LOC to buy timber and within 8 years I was the largest borrower at that bank at about 15 mil.. ( small community bank)  but we fought through the GFC together I had to start over and my banker kept one last  1mil LOC open for me so I could operate and since those dark says of 2010 he has gone on to fund 5 subdivisions for me  300 plus homes and 100 plus million in loans and this is based on relationship 100%..

More economical purchase prices in Grover Beach and Oceano, but also less revenue, and also not sure about the regs. 

A high quality SFR in Austin will pay dividends in the long-run, and don't invest for anything but that. 5-6 years is too little, but if you are to expose yourself to that I would still take Austin.Those deep parts of SW FL are cyclical with retirement up & downs on economic recessions.

Think, wouldn't a "bad" jobs/economic read be a GOOD thing?     

It just shows economic illiteracy and a commitment to buying votes rather than supporting rational policy.