Up north towards Canada the water tables are usually higher. 

The lease option is interesting, but I worry since there are already tenants in place how that would muddy the waters, legally, i.e. which "tenant" would the seller be evicting if things went sideways.The hard money loan is an option, just looking at path of least resistance given the current state of affairs and potential for tenants losing their jobs, non-payment of rent, etc.

View report*This link comes directly from our calculators, based on information input by the member who posted.Variable expenses reflect my market and don't include utilities/water/sewage as tenant will pay those. 

The city planning department told me that we could place multifamily units on the land as long as it met setback guidelines and access to water/sewage etc.  

Gas heat and water and central A/C. 24 x 24 detached shop in the back.

I secured it - turned the water off, left the electricity on so I could run basic heat in the winter, and it sat for almost 17 months before it was ready to move. 3-5 years is a long time of carrying costs, you should be pretty certain of your appreciation before doing something like that.

There are some areas in town that would still allow a mobile home to be put on the property with an affidavit of affixture but with a 5th wheel the logistics of hooking it up to water, sewer and electric also play a part.

I left my job in IT years ago in order to restore and renovate the house after it was significantly water damaged from a broken pipe.

Are you (the landlord) paying for electricity, water, WiFi, and such for every unit?

It just a handyman maintenance such as bathroom facuet water leak, toilet water keep running non-stop, light bulb in the fridge broke etc