Buffalo NY, its cheaper, there are cash flow positive properties and you can drive here in a pinch.  

Those properties tend to sell at a bit of a premium, but with COVID bringing tourism on the island to record low levels, I'm noticing that more of these properties are starting to hit the market as people without adequate reserves are feeling the pinch. 

They also wanted to pinch every penny in regards to amenities and maintenance and ended up with a mostly undesirable property especially when compared to competition. 

A stock has never called and offered me terms and a discount because it is in a pinch.

It's about making $, once your making enough that Uncle Sam is a gut punch vs a pinch, then worry about write-offs. 

If you have a good relationship with your appraiser, then you can find out what your pinch points will be ahead of time.

I figured I have family in the Baton Rouge area which draws me back there periodically and in a pinch I could have family check in on the property for me, outside of utilizing a property management company.

I would pinch those pennies and work to get a down payment so you can buy something on your own and get some equity in the deal. 

Therefore, I take everything the realtors tell me with a pinch of salt and I form my own opinion.

My current family spending I consider to be "semi penny pinching" at 7-9k /mth. (90k/yr).