Buying a rental out of area

[Laura Capps]

We are looking at rentals out of our area. We've found some that are currently occupied that would generate a good cash flow, but we don't know the area very well. For those of you that buy rentals out of your area, how do you go about doing it to make sure you're making a good decision? Some of the houses we've found are being sold in a portfolio with seller financing.  Should we contact a local PM and/or realtor to look at the houses for us? All tips and advice is appreciated!