First investment property/Considering out of state

[Isaiah Hamlin]

Hello all, 

My name is Isaiah Hamlin and I live in Mesa, Arizona. I am 28 years old and my wife (age 24) is looking for our first investment property. We have worked hard to save up extra money for a down payment and are now in position to move forward. I have been reading/studying/listening to Brandon and David and quite a few of you guys here in the forums for quite some time and ready to move forward and start making it happen. I am considering purchasing a duplex with my business partner. We were considering investing in Illinois due to the cost of living there and opportunity that seems to be available. My business partner lives in Phoenix but is from St. Louis and lived there for 22 years and knows the market very well. The feedback I was looking to get was in regards to tips on purchasing a first investment property with a business partner and also investing out of state. I have found different ideas and thoughts here on BP on investing out of state and the pros and cons that come along with it. Our first property would be a buy and hold property where cashflow is important but the end goal just being able to get our feet wet and build from there. Any feedback/tips are greatly appreciated. Also, if there are any local real estate agents/contractors/investors in the St. Louis area I would love to connect as we are still looking to build our team in the area. Thank you all for taking the time to read this post. Look forward to your feedback. God bless! 

-Isaiah Hamlin