Interested in buying first rental property near me. West Texas

[Randy McDonald]

Hello all and thank you for taking a look at my first post on BiggerPockets. I live in Andrews, Tx (West Texas) where the oilfield has been booming. I am getting ready to purchase my first property as my primary residence while I attend college in Odessa. I currently make $14/hr in fast food and plan to hold while I pursue my ADN in Nursing. After I graduate I plan to use the equity in my house, tax returns, and saved money to buy my first rental property. I have heard that the big cities such as Dallas/Foot-worth area, San Antonio, and Houston are the best places to invest in rental properties but as a first investment, that seems too far me manage. I was hoping if I could get some advice on how to manage my properties if I do invest there or if there is somewhere closer that would better suit my needs. I don't want to invest in Midland or Odessa because their markets are run mostly by the oilfield. I have recently been scoping out Lubbock and it seems promising as a strong market and a college town as well. Anything would be helpful because this is my first investment and I would like to know what not to do and what to look for to maximize cash flow.