Hudson Valley Ny First time Investor

[Lisa Alexander]

Hi everyone - I am new to real estate investing, and am looking to purchase a property in the Hudson Valley area of NY ideally to be used as a short term rental primarily.  Any thoughts of exactly where to start here?  I have been looking at properties and also going to use Mashvisor to give me a start at my analysis and some initial guidance as I begin to really dig in.  We are hoping to find a place that is primarily used for the airbnb/vbro market.  Right now I'm stumped on how exactly to get started.

Would you suggest working with a local agent to find a property?  Any thoughts here would be helpful.  From reading through the forums I know there is a wealth of knowledge and experience on this site.

Thanks!