newbie. where to start when you live far from the action. rural

[Jesse Lawrence]

I live in a remote area that is in a energy BOOM (super high real estate prices)

Thus i am looking elsewhere to start in my investing. (phoenix etc.) is it prudent to buy real estate in a place where i don't live nearby? In other words, can you make good investments from afar in an unfamiliar area? Or must you somehow learn the area first?

by the way i work full-time and have a wife and 4 young kids. some money in the bank with which to start...