Adding to Matt M. comment about using mapei, ardex and henrys etc. would be your best bet.

Seeing as the area is known for getting away from it all to the country, I would suspect a more secluded location would do just fine.Best bet would be to look at other rentals in the immediate area to see what they are charging for nightly rate, what their calendars look like and what amenities the offer.

Everyone's situation is different though, your best bet is to start reaching out to lenders to get a feel for what's out there.

For example, if all the other luxury homes have tennis courts and yours does not, well, you can bet you will have a more difficult time selling it.

I bet you're in demand in the Triangle area.

Your best bet is to seal up & repair everything you can, keep vegetation away from the building, make sure there's no food around (like pet food or bird seed) & that the tenant keeps their place clean & food-free.

You best bet would be to get an electrician to look at and get an accurate estimate to evaluate if it's worth doing.

If you read more of the BiggerPockets forums you will find that in places like Florida and other highly volatile areas, betting on appreciation is more like gambling.If it is a long term buy and hold and you can sustain the annual negative cashflow, then it makes sense.  

I bet...

There are many factors at play and trying to bet on appreciation is how I see the most investors go broke.