I am trying to get a sense of what type of market is for Kansas city and surrounding area, and what strategies work well locally. 

Ditch the cheap shower surroundPlease don’t buy that cheap five-piece shower surround that you saw at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

Quote from @Yianni Hahalis: Hi all,I will soon be moving to Cleveland, OH and either renting or buying in the surrounding area with my future spouse.

I plan to start my investing journey with an owner occupied multi-family in Albany or the surrounding cities.

While cash flow can be limited within the downtown area, there are still excellent opportunities for cash-flowing rentals in surrounding regions.

The college has lots of students, and the surrounding areas have some wealth.

Yes, you bought what seems like a good deal on paper, but in reality, you own an old apartment building in a neighborhood with poor security, possibly surrounded by long-vacant shops, streets piled with garbage, and a poorly managed community.

It’s about surrounding yourself with people who think big and act fast.

I agree with your idea of exploring the smaller surrounding towns in East Texas.

Denver and its surrounds have particularly active markets and a lot of active individuals offering ancillary services so I'd suggest you research those available services you're looking at offering to help you get an idea for what is well covered, what is lacking and what your competitor's pricing looks like.