Secondarily, from what I see on BP, if you post the specifics about a deal, and if its a good deal, developers will pop up. 

We can turn them around in just a days notice, we’ve actually had wholesalers come to us day of close because an issue popped up with contract verbiage or $ disclosure etc.  

and very easy to go on line pop companies names in or the MLO name in the system to see if they are real.. if they pop up on that site then they are for sure real. 

I know most lenders in the bizz will not make this mistake but with all these mom and pops jumping into lending I can see some of them not knowing and just record it only to get a nasty surprise when they go to sell..

Agree on the advice their are sharks out there that are very good praying on people with various scams each month a new one pops up so avoid the housing market right now .In the mean time invest in a index fund that follows a benchmark like a S&P 500 each month/week put more money in when you are at a age that father wisdom has visited make small moves into the housing market .

Google them and check the first 30 links, any garbage usually pops up in the top 30 links. . 

I would start by looking at the macro trends you mentioned then look at the markets that pop out and compare them side by side and see which best aligns with what your looking for 2.

There's been many new PMs around here that have popped up over the last few years. 

As an investor-friendly agent based in New Jersey, I’ve seen folks leverage a strong network (like probate attorneys, local wholesalers, or even specialized divorce attorneys) to find properties that don’t always pop up in public listings.

From my perspective this is the end of mom and pop rentals.