Location - Trying to nail down a location for my first investment property

[James Figliozzi]

Hi Everyone - First time posting and very very new to real estate investing. I've been doing as much research as I can while working as an Account Executive for a fast-growing tech company. I'm finally ready to take the money I've saved and invest it in real estate. Right now I'm at the stage of trying to figure out what location I want to invest in. I live in New York City so that is not an option, it has to be out of state. As far as strategy, I'm looking for a long-term rental with some decent cash flow, however, I understand that is tough to find right now. My goal is to hold on to the property, build equity, and hopefully continue to buy more in the coming years. My girlfriend's parents have connections in Las Vegas and have a LTR out there. Since I already have the connections in Vegas that is where I'm leaning but it seems as if Vegas can be a bit more expensive than some other areas I'm considering such as Texas, Tennessee, Indiana, and Ohio.

My question is, do I narrow in on Vegas as I already have connections out there or do I leverage Biggerpockets network and find better opportunities in other areas? I know this post is a bit vague and I'm happy to provide more info but looking for some additional insight. Thanks!