After hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, I decided not only to help rebuild the island but also to bet and invest on it.

Eventbright, Bigger Pockets Marketplace...even facebook will have investor groups with hundreds and hundreds of Rhode Islanders in them.  

It is so easy for a small leak to cause tens of thousands in damage and even make a home uninhabitable until remediation due to mold.

You could try to get the local health department or building code department to post the unit as uninhabitable because there is not heat, but that won't get the tenant out unless the police will come and physically remove him (they won't).At any rate, since it's already 5 degrees, the damage may already be done.

If they have sat uninhabitable for an extended amount of time there might be a reason why, as most owners would work to get through the reconstruction process as quickly as possible to limit the amount of lost income. 

I live on Long Island and I’m looking to purchase rentals out of state (2-3 hour driving distance from Long Island if possible)

Remember how islands were going to be swallowed by rising seas? 

I had to more or less gut a 4 plex I own and the tenants in the other units paid my mortgage while the other two were uninhabitable.

Specifically, I'm interested in small multifamily properties to invest in and looking to establish a relationship with an agent in the Titusville, Cocoa, Merritt Island area.

Simons Island, GA.