If you have a local appliance store near the rental, go there and talk to them. 

Attend local real estate investor (REI) meetings and get to know people.

Albany, Syracuse, Utica, OH, PA, etc.) for cashflow.The challenge in these markets is that demand is through the roof, and many properties either sell at the asking price or above the asking price (Suffolk's sale price average was 1.5% ABOVE the asking price).If I were in your shoes, I'd explore local and remote multi-family options before considering the mid-term rental route.All the best!

I second all that has been said above - all of those folks referenced have been really helpful to me and have added lots of value to so many BP community members, especially in our local marketplace.

You can contact some local property managers and get a better idea of the rental market.

We’re not used to seeing emergency declarations as frequently as they do in Florida.Our borrower is a local rehabber with a property scheduled to be funded today and close tomorrow.

However, my under writing due to the recent rate hikes shows large cash negative after a high LTV refi to extract the equity so I am not currently actively pursuing BRRRRS and I find this is true for many of the local investors that were doing brrrrs a few years ago.  

Attend every local REI MeetUp you can.

I want to remain local in NJ or at most drive down 1hr to PA (self-manage or, last resort, hire a PM)However, I must also consider maintaining reserves, a safety net for my primary home, and an emergency fund.It's just hard for a new investor now :(

Attend local builder associations or networking events, and focus on small contractors or businesses without in-house permit expertise.Highlight how you save time and ensure compliance—it’s a big value-add.