Who to contact to decide what part of town to invest

[Will Chitwood]

I'm going back to Charlotte, NC over the holidays to visit my wife's family. I'm looking to buy some single family rental properties there in 2016 since it looks like a good market and I travel there often. Much more affordable than Southern California where I live. I'm not that familiar with the best parts of town for rentals. Should I talk to a property manager, real estate agent, etc? Any advice is appreciated. Also if have experience or are familiar with the Charlotte market let me know what you think.