He has a knack for making bad choices. 

While I can't speak for the other markets, Columbus is a solid choice as an investor myself.

Austin is a fantastic market, with its growing tech presence and vibrant culture, making it a great choice for your future career. 

@Jorge Vazquez we stopped doing signs over 10 years ago.We had a separate phone number on our signs, so were able to track traffic & applications from them.We were getting more & BETTER leads from our online ads then the signs - so an easy choice to stop using them (also time & money savings).

Contacting rentals is a smart approach too, its all really a numbers game

Lots of good choices! 

I am looking for some help and advice on whether or not this property seems like a smart first investment. 

Self managing is a solid way to learn the business, and it’s smart that you’re already setting up systems and tools. 

You guys are smart but you feel like you accomplished what you had in mind and now need a goal/plan for what's next.

This is most of the depreciation you are taking year one.You can calculate your depreciation recapture by taking the sale price of the asset and subtracting the adjusted cost basis.The adjusted cost basis is what you paid for the asset plus any improvements you made along the way minus the depreciation you took along the way.The profit above this original cost is taxed as a capital gain, but the part linked to depreciation is taxed at a maximum rate of 25% under the unrecaptured gains of section 1250.To recap the tax rates are:- Sec. 1250 real property: 25%- Sec. 1245 property and 15 year 1250 property: Ordinary Tax RatesThere are ways to minimize depreciation recapture especially if you know how to work smart with your CPA.1) Asset Valuation at Time of Sale - Sellers can minimize recapture by reallocating the price of the assets on sale.