Newbie asking for advice on first rental property investment

[Mayda Searfoss]

HI!  I'm brand new to BP and just getting familiar with the forums :-) 

 I'm looking to buy my first rental(s) property investment and want some advice.  

I have been doing a lot of research mostly on the Midwest states as I have read they have the greatest rental returns.  After all my research I found Macon, GA to be a good choice for my price range.  The houses are not too old, the cash flow is good, the population has been growing in the last few years, etc.  I'm from Arizona and have never been to Georgia. 

 I'm looking to pay cash and would like to buy maybe 2 or 3 properties priced around 30k to 50k each.  I have seen on zillow that there are a few decent properties in Macon within this range that have good rental cash flow.

Due to the low home price I have found it difficult to find a real estate agent in the area that wants to spend time with me.  Does anyone have any advice on how to find a real estate agent in the GA area that works with investors and is not turned off by the low purchase price and small amount of properties?

Also, do you think Macon is a good place to get started buying my first rental property or would you have other recommendations for better places in Georgia where I can still buy at the prices I mentioned?

Thank you very much for any input you have.

[Jennifer Beadles]

@Mayda Searfoss When I decide on an area that I want to invest (based on the numbers and demographics) I always call a few local property managers and I tell them that I plan on buying several properties and let them tell me about their services. Then I ask them to connect me with their favorite investor friendly agent who can help me find properties to buy. 

This connection makes all the difference because the property manager wants an investor to buy so that they can manage the properties, and agents often get a good amount of business from property managers (at least the ones that only do PM) and they don't want to let them down by not following up with a referral.

Hope this helps!