One of my friends uses comped quarterly cleaning as their inspection day and trains the cleaners to take photos and videos of everything.

Just choose somewhere in the mid west were 200k buys you a very nice livable home.

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

I've watched some videos from BP but i'd like some recommended reading to educate myself in preparation and so i can start going to open houses and actually having an idea of what i'm looking at.3. i'm thinking about changing careers to either electrician or plumbing to get skills that may help me manage my properties or do house flips and value adds to my properties.

There's no right or wrong way to do this, just varying levels of risk and reward and YOU need to understand what they are for whatever strategy you choose. 

Also, if you're working with a local bank, theyre likely choosing not to originate  Conventional loans for investment properties and to only offer commercial loans that they hold on their balance sheet, which are subject to their own internal credit policies.

Either they choose to move out or you get paid for the “hassle factor”.

Many challenges can be avoided if you work with someone that can give you professional guidance in the market you choose.

The biggest thing you can do is build your CORE 4 which consists of getting a great realtor, contractor, property manger, and attorney wherever you choose to start investing.Let me know how I can help you get going

from your experience do you know if appraisers would choose closer comps but adjust a different search criteria such as a lower br/ba criteria and adjust the arv by 5-10k on a lower lower room or bathroom count or would they prefer a property further out just to match that criteria. this is probably a case by case basis.