I'd suggest choosing an area that looks like it has potential and then spend your spare time just driving around.

Recognize that going out of state will come with a lot of learning and education; there's a cost for that of your time and if its better served educating out of state or spending it on the property.

It may sound funny to pay a 1031 exchange service to simply receive money for you and spend it for you, but it is essential. 

All recent increases and near-term future increases are just gambling.

One thing I did note is my insurance is $3K a year lower due to the monitored fire suppression system in these larger properties versus my smaller properties that sleep 12 or less built close to the same time.As someone who has lived in Illinois twice, the politicians there don't care if people burn as long as they can tax and spend. 

The foundation is so bad the house has shifted and I’m going to be spending nearly 40-50k to get this remediated.

Get to a point of having enough cash flow for me to spend less time on my job and more time with young kids in 5 years2.

Are they holding the money, or are they spending it?

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies who spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

The client was willing to gamble on furnishing for STR over LTR route and we were good for 3.5 years, then one day the man came and shut it down.