I know that in Mississippi the rule of thumb seems to be that as long as the lot can meet the frontage requirements, construction is permitted.

Get your permitting department on board first as well in your county.Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Both electrical and water meters will need to be assessed by the city via city permitting.

Most of our clients have their property in their own name (we do property management for STRs and MTRs).Every city has it's own rules for STR permits, whether you're allowed to STR at all, taxes, fees, etc.

This home came equipped with an above-the-garage addition (600sqft) the flippers added on (permitted).

The property manager asked if I have a short term rental permit which I do not so must have told VRBO and they blocked the calendarA few questions:Is a short term rental permit required in Pittsburgh?

You are being VERY NAIVE if you seriously think someone is going to manage a $10k+ project and spend HOURS chasing contractors, checking on permits, verifying work is done properly before payment and trying to keep everyone on schedule - for no additional charge.Best of luck, just don't blame anyone but yourself when you find out the truth the hard way.

You would use the $45k to pay for the 10%-20% down (depending on the lender you find) and your carry costs, inspections and permits, as well as the interest only monthly payments.  

If I am not getting a permit (for whatever reason) and it works with the layout, I will always set the posts in the ground at least 20%.

When you consider the cost of construction, permits, interest on private loan and etc, it just doesn't justify the ROI.