This can help you make informed decisions and maximize your investment.Keep your wife’s concerns in mind and ensure you both feel confident in the path forward.

If you can easily touch it and feel it, it affects value. 

I think you are assuming these people are professional lol, because not all loan officers are.  

The private lending world can sometimes feel like the wild West, but as far as industry norms go I would say that your lender is operating outside of them. 

Feel free to reach out to me anytime in regards to ground up construction financing for first time investors 

One of the most striking conclusions was that the bulk of the money was made by a minority of professional hosts and that the large majority of hosts wasn't making much.

IMHO I think the draw to the Poconos is it's proximity to two monster metropolitan markets and their middle and professional class who may prefer in many cases to tone it down from places like Miami, Hawaii, Vail, or Stowe, and instead have the luxury of a 1.5-2 hour car trip to somewhere where they will save on airfare, get a good deal on their accommodations, and still have loads of fun with their families without having to deal with exorbitant vacation costs and aggravating travel arrangements. 

Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

My thought is to buy a large home, alter it slightly so it's set up for roommates instead of a family, and then rent to individual professionals that work at the hospital or local school district.  

I feel your struggle to find someone to trust from over state.