Investing local vs Midwest

[Kris Langford]

I'm interested in buy and hold properties, ideally with positive cashflow. I live in the Portland, OR area and have a tough time finding any properties that will positively  cashflow. I would prefer to invest locally and manage myself. I started browsing turnkey companies in the midwest and like the numbers I see, but is it fools gold? 

I'm interested in hearing from any local investors who may have used some of these turnkey companies. Have you had positive experiences? Would you do it again? Are the numbers they advertise real? How much more difficult is it owning property so far away? Would you recommend this strategy for a new investor? Any other insight you might offer.

Also, what could be some areas I may be missing locally? Not necessarily locations, but types of investments that may be unconventional. My main area of research has been SFR and Small MFR.

Thank you 

Kris