Which "Experts" Should I Trust?

[Samuel Stewart]

I have heard that it is important when starting out in real estate investing to have a team of experts in your corner (Attorney, CPA, Agent, Lender, etc). My issue with this is that I live in a smaller sized town (population +/- 3,000) and the selection of "experts" in my area can be quite limited depending on the professional advice I'm seeking.

My question is this: Is it more important in real estate investing to choose an attorney or CPA that is close to me and in my area? Or is it better to look further and go with experts in these lines of work who live in bigger cities and who may have more experience? I live about an hour away from a city of about 120,000 and I live 2 hours away from the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex. Anyone who could shed some light on this conundrum or even go so far as to recommend a good attorney or CPA who is knowledgeable in real estate would be extremely appreciated. Thank you all so much.